The Vietnam Cinema Department on Sunday officially required Netflix and FPT Play to take down the drama 'Flight to You' due to the inclusion of the illegal 'nine-dash line' that China uses to assert its unlawful sovereignty over a large part of the East Vietnam Sea. 

The department told Netflix and FPT Play to remove the drama within 24 hours from midnight on Saturday and report the results to the department before Wednesday.

In its official dispatch sent to Netflix, the department said it had reviewed all 39 episodes of the drama screened on the streaming service provider’s website and app.

It found that a map depicting the nine-dash line appeared in many episodes of the drama, including episodes 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, and 38.

The nine-dash line was clearly featured in the second minute of episode 30, together with subtitles “one day, this map will be spread to many places around the world," as well as from the 18th to 55th second of the 41st minute of episode 18.

The illegal nine-dash line and the content of the dialogue and subtitles of the drama violate Vietnam's sovereignty and the Law on Cinematography, according to the official dispatch sent to Netflix.

In an official dispatch sent to FPT Play, the Vietnam Cinema Department said FPT Play showed 39 episodes of the drama 'Flight to You' on its website and app.

FPT Play blurred the image of the illicit nine-dash line map in episodes 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, and 38.

However, the drama’s content violates Vietnam's sovereignty, so it is not appropriate to be showed in Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Cinema Department.

FPT Play's representative confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that it employs a serious censorship process for the content of products on its platform before screening them.

As for the drama 'Flight to You,' it had blurred and cut inappropriate images before screening it.

“When receiving the authorities’ request to remove the drama, we have complied with it.”

FPT Play confirmed that it had removed the drama from its app and other platforms and is waiting for further instructions from the local authorities.

Just days ago, the Vietnam Cinema Department banned the live-action feature film ‘Barbie’ from screening in Vietnam for featuring a map depicting the illicit nine-dash line.

The organizer of K-pop girl group BlackPink’s concert, slated for late this month in Hanoi, has also faced the protest of Vietnamese residents for using a map including the illegitimate nine-dash line on its website. It later made an apology for using the map.

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