Netflix Withdraws 'Shine On Me': Vietnam's Clash Over Territorial Maps

Thu Jan 08 2026 13:32:01 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a recent development, Netflix has removed the Chinese drama 'Shine On Me' from its Vietnam platform following backlash over a disputed map depicted in the series. The controversy stems from the South China Sea, with Vietnam condemning the portrayal of territorial claims.

Netflix's removal of the Chinese drama 'Shine On Me' from its Vietnam platform is a response to Hanoi's objections concerning a territorial map featured in the show. The nine-dash line, which China uses to assert its claims in the South China Sea, was denounced by Vietnam as inaccurate and infringing upon its sovereignty.

Netflix has pulled a Chinese drama series from its Vietnam platform after Hanoi objected to an episode featuring a map with contested territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The 27-episode romance drama Shine on Me includes images of the so-called nine-dash line which Vietnam has condemned as inaccurate and infringing upon national sovereignty.

China uses the line in its maps to demarcate its territorial claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam is one of many countries that object to these claims.

Vietnam's culture ministry issued a demand for the series to be removed on 3 January and gave Netflix 24 hours to comply.

A BBC check on Tuesday found it could no longer be viewed on Netflix's Vietnam platform.

The disputed map appears several times in episode 25 of Shine On Me, in a scene about China's solar power potential.

The show's main characters attend a lecture where a map of China which shows part of the nine-dash line is projected on an auditorium screen.

Shine On Me is popular within China and other territories, ranking among Netflix's Top 10 shows in Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam before it was pulled.

Beijing has not officially commented on the ban, although its state-run newspaper Global Times published an article on Tuesday urging Hanoi to separate cultural exchanges from [the] South China Sea issue.

In recent years, China has increasingly asserted its claims of sovereignty over several land parcels in the South China Sea, despite protests from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei.

There have been heated confrontations with foreign navies amid China's patrols, particularly with the Philippine navy.

Despite an international tribunal ruling against its claims in 2016, China continues to assert historical sovereignty over the region.

Vietnam, however, staunchly disagrees with China's claims, arguing that these assertions were made post-1940s, while Vietnam has governed the islands since the 17th century.

This controversy has previously led to Vietnam requesting the removal of other productions, including the Chinese drama Flight to You and even Hollywood films like Barbie and Abominable.