Netflix has removed the Chinese drama Shine on Me from its platform in Vietnam following a government order. Authorities objected to scenes depicting the “nine-dash line” map of the South China Sea, which the Department of Cinema—under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism—described as misrepresenting and violating Vietnam’s national sovereignty.
The streaming giant complied after receiving a formal written demand from the government, according to Bloomberg.
According to the department, the images of the map appeared in episode 25 of the 36-episode drama. Authorities gave Netflix 24 hours to take the show down and reclassified the series as category C, which bars it from distribution under Vietnam’s cinema law. The show was no longer available online by 11 a.m. Hanoi time on Monday.
This is not the first time Netflix has pulled a show from its platform in Vietnam over the issue.
In 2023, Netflix also pulled out the Chinese drama Flight to You despite a similar map shown being blurred in the local version. Vietnam also banned the film Barbie from cinemas and investigated brands linked to China, including milk tea chain Chagee and a children’s toy line, over the use of the same map.
China claims over 80% of the South China Sea, based on a 1947 map marked by a series of dashes forming the nine-dash line. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan all claim parts of the waters, with overlapping claims continuing to fuel tensions in the region. /TISG
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