Blackpink Vietnam show organiser regrets disputed South China Sea map: Report

HANOI – The organiser of Blackpink’s Vietnam concerts scheduled for Hanoi later in July has apologised for

publishing China’s controversial South China Sea territorial map

on one of its websites and pledged to remove it, state broadcaster Vietnam Television reported.

Mr Brian Chow, chief executive of iMe Entertainment Group Asia, said the company will change the image of the map, the VnExpress news website reported.

The website of iMe was inaccessible on Thursday evening.

The chief inspector of Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Le Thanh Liem, said the regulator is working to verify the incident first reported on social media and to find a solution, the VietnamPlus news website reported.

Vietnam aggressively polices all references to

China’s so-called nine-dash-line map

in the country, cracking down on everything from navigation apps to Hollywood movies.

Vietnam earlier this week announced it was banning the movie Barbie from its cinemas due to a scene that shows the map.

China claims more than 80 per cent of the South China Sea and backs up its claim with a 1947 map that shows vague dashes – the nine-dash line – looping down to a point about 1.8km south of its Hainan island.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan claim parts of the same maritime area, and have sparred with China over which claims are valid.

The popular girl band is scheduled to perform in Vietnam’s capital on July 29 and 30. BLOOMBERG