The Philippines agreed to let the upcoming Barbie movie be screened in theaters after requesting that a map showing China’s “nine-dash line” claim over the South China Sea be blurred.
The fantasy comedy movie about the popular doll, which is being directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, will debut on July 19 in the Southeast Asian country.
The government’s Movie and Television Review and Classification Board declared that it would permit the film to be screened after viewing it twice, consulting with foreign affairs officials, and legal professionals.
Beijing bases its claim to nearly the entire South China Sea on the nine-dash line, a U-shaped line encompassing almost all of the resource-rich waters, which an international court found to be without legal foundation in 2016.
Vietnam, which has banned the Barbie film, also claims part of the sea along with other littoral states, including the Philippines, which brought the court action, and Malaysia.
Source-Aljazeera
