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Netflix complies with Vietnam's demand to pull Chinese series
Streaming giant Netflix has removed the Chinese romance drama Shine on Me from its Vietnamese platform after Hanoi objected to a scene featuring the contested nine-dash line map in the South China Sea.
Vietnam's objection and Netflix's response
Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a formal request on 3 January, giving Netflix 24 hours to take down the 27-episode series. By Tuesday, the show was no longer available on Netflix Vietnam, a BBC verification confirmed.
The ministry cited the depiction of the nine-dash line-a demarcation China uses to assert its territorial claims in the South China Sea-as "inaccurate" and a violation of Vietnam's sovereignty.
Controversial scene in episode 25
The disputed map appears multiple times in episode 25 during a lecture on China's solar energy potential. A slide projected in an auditorium shows a map of China that includes the nine-dash line, which loops around contested island chains such as the Paracels and Spratlys.
Before its removal, Shine on Me had been among Netflix's Top 10 most-watched shows in Vietnam, as well as in Singapore and Taiwan.
China's stance and regional tensions
Beijing has not officially commented on the ban, though the state-run Global Times published an article on Tuesday urging Hanoi to "separate cultural exchanges from the South China Sea issue."
China asserts its claims over much of the South China Sea, citing historical evidence such as ancient pottery and fishing records. However, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled against these claims in 2016-a decision Beijing rejected.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei all contest China's territorial assertions. Hanoi, in particular, argues that it has governed the Paracel and Spratly islands since the 17th century and possesses historical documents to support its sovereignty.
Vietnam's history of content restrictions
The nine-dash line is a highly sensitive issue in Vietnam, where authorities closely monitor depictions that challenge Hanoi's territorial claims. While the government typically suppresses anti-China sentiment, protests over the South China Sea are among the few forms of dissent it permits.
Between 2019 and 2024, Vietnam submitted eight takedown requests to Netflix, according to the company's transparency reports. In 2023, Hanoi also ordered the removal of another Chinese drama, Flight to You, for featuring the same disputed map.
Vietnam has previously banned Hollywood films for similar reasons, including Warner Bros.' Barbie in 2023 and DreamWorks' Abominable in 2016.
