The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board of the Philippines (MTRCB) is currently deliberating on whether to grant a permit for the film’s release in the country. The decision comes after Vietnam banned the movie last week due to a scene depicting a map of the South China Sea with the “nine-dash line,” which is a controversial territorial claim by China.

The Philippines also has competing claims in the South China Sea, and the nine-dash line is seen as a violation of its sovereignty. Some senators have called for the MTRCB to ban the movie, while others have suggested that it could be allowed to be shown if the contested scene is edited out.

The MTRCB is expected to make a decision on the matter soon.

Here are some additional details:

• The nine-dash line is a U-shaped line that China uses to claim about 90% of the South China Sea.
• The line was repudiated in an international arbitration ruling in 2016, but China has refused to recognize the ruling.
• The Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei all have competing claims in the South China Sea.
• The MTRCB banned Sony’s Uncharted in 2022 for a similar issue.
• Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, begins offshore rollout on July 19.