The Philippines has made an interesting request regarding the upcoming Barbie movie, aiming to ensure a contentious map is blurred before its release.

While Vietnam banned the film due to allegations that it featured the nine-dash line, a symbol representing China's disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea, the Philippines has decided to allow the screening of the movie.

The country's censors concluded that the map in question was merely "cartoonish" and did not pose a threat. The Philippine Movie and Television Review and Classification Board reviewed the film twice and consulted foreign affairs officials and legal experts before reaching this decision.

According to the board, the dashed lines on the map, resembling a child's drawing, appeared in several locations, including Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia. Interestingly, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia were not visible on the map.

The board issued a stern warning to filmmakers, asserting that any future movies featuring the controversial nine-dash line would face potential sanctions or bans.

The South China Sea has long been a hotbed of territorial disputes among countries like China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. China has constructed military bases on artificial islands in the region, consistently asserting its territorial claims through naval patrols.

In 2016, an international tribunal ruled against China's claims, but Beijing did not recognise the judgement.

The Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is a fantasy film depicting Barbie's journey from Barbie Land to the "real world." Its approval for screening in the Philippines coincided with the seventh anniversary of the ruling against Chinese claims in the South China Sea.

The movie is set to open in the Philippines on July 19!