Tensions between China and the international community continue to be strained, with the U.S. film industry in particular coming under fire. There has been no shortage of controversy surrounding the relationship between Hollywood and the current Chinese regime in the last few months. The most recent controversy revolves around DreamWorks Animation's Abominable, which was produced in collaboration with Shanghai-based Pearl Studios.
The animated children's film about a Chinese girl who befriends a yeti has been removed from theaters in Vietnam after audiences found that it featured a map using China's Nine-Dash Line, which marks Vietnamese territory as part of China. Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong announced on Monday, "We will revoke [the film's release license]."
The often disputed Nine-Dash Line has been a point of contention between China and surrounding nations in the South China Sea. The demarcation line also claims territory around Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei, all of which have made claims in the region.
In recent weeks, numerous Hollywood companies have come under fire in the U.S for evidently kowtowing to the demands of the Chinese government in order to continue benefiting from Chinese audiences, which oftentimes means making concessions when it comes to freedom of expression. Beyond Hollywood, companies such as Apple, Google, Vans and more have faced similar backlash for their relationships with the Communist Party of China via numerous state-owned businesses.
Abominable is written and directed by Jill Culton and stars Chloe Bennet, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Albert Tsai, Eddie Izzard and Sarah Paulson. The film is in theaters now.