6th June 2026 – (Hanoi) Vietnamese regulators have directed streaming giant Netflix to remove the Chinese television series Shine on Me from its local service, citing the inclusion of a map featuring China’s contested nine-dash line in the South China Sea. The order, reported by Bloomberg, marks the latest instance of Hanoi censoring foreign media content over sovereignty concerns.
According to a statement from Vietnam’s Department of Cinema, an inspection identified scenes in the drama that displayed the controversial maritime boundary. The department alleged the map “misrepresents and violates Vietnam’s national sovereignty,” subsequently reclassifying the entire 27-episode series under a category that prohibits its distribution. Netflix confirmed compliance with the written government demand, removing the title from its platform in Vietnam.
The specific image in question appears briefly during a college lecture scene in the show’s 25th episode. Authorities gave the platform 24 hours to take down the content, and by Monday morning in Hanoi, the series was no longer accessible to Vietnamese subscribers.
In response to the action, a Chinese academic urged for a separation between cultural exchanges and territorial disputes. Gu Xiaosong, Dean of the ASEAN Research Institute at Hainan Tropical Ocean University, suggested to the Global Times that film and television productions represent normal people-to-people exchange and should be treated distinctly from the South China Sea issue. He posited that Vietnamese concerns may stem from a reluctance to allow public exposure to narratives affirming China’s maritime claims.
This incident continues a pattern of similar bans. In recent years, Vietnam has prohibited the domestic distribution of several major films, including Warner Bros.’ Barbie and Sony’s Uncharted, for the same reason. In 2021, Netflix also removed the series Pine Gap in Vietnam following a complaint from broadcast authorities.
T