Philippines slams DreamWorks film showing China's 'Nine-Dash Line'

Foreign minister calls for boycott after Vietnam pulls movie from its cinemas

The animated film "Abominable," which was released in the Philippines in early October, elicited a strong negative reaction on social media in the country over a scene showing Beijing's "Nine-Dash Line" on a map. © AP

CLIFF VENZON, Nikkei staff writer

October 16, 2019 16:16 JST

MANILA -- The Philippines' foreign minister has called for a boycott of U.S. animated movie studio DreamWorks after one of its films showed a map that recognized Beijing's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.'s comments on Twitter follow a decision by Vietnam on Sunday to pull the movie, titled "Abominable," from its cinemas over a scene that showed the "Nine-Dash Line" on a map. The line is Beijing's unilateral demarcation that it says gives it sovereignty over a vast swath of the South China Sea, including areas that Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Philippines claim as their own territorial waters.