Warner Bros. called the map in Barbie that angered Vietnam devoid of political overtones

Film Studio Warner Bros. said the image of the geographical map in the film “Barbie”, which caused an international scandal, looks like a child’s drawing and has no political overtones, according to Variety magazine.

The Vietnamese Film Department announced on Monday that the film “Barbie” was banned in the country. The Vietnamese authorities were outraged by the scene with the map, which contains the image of the so-called “cow tongue line” – the designation by which China indicates its claims in the South China Sea, including Vietnamese territories. A possible ban on the film was then announced by the Philippine Film and Television Council.

“The map in the movie ‘Barbie’ is a child’s drawing and is of a fantasy nature. It depicts Barbie’s imaginary journey from a fictional country to the real world. The map contains no political statements,” the studio said in a statement.

China’s claims in the South China Sea were first represented on a map with nine dotted lines in 1946. In 2016, the International Court of Justice in The Hague invalidated these claims and granted the Philippines’ objection to their exclusive economic zone. China did not take part in the proceedings.