Netflix pulls Chinese drama Shine On Me in Vietnam after claims of disputed map

Netflix has taken down the Chinese drama, Shine On Me from the streaming giant's Vietnam platform after the country said that the show had shown a disputed map.

According to reports, Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi, said one particular episode of Shine On Me displayed a map that showed controversial claims of territory in the South China Sea region

Netflix removes Shine On Me from Vietnam after country says that the disputed map affected "national sovereignty"

Shine On Me released on December 22, 2025 and has already stirred up controversy in Vietnam. The romantic drama series, which has 27 episodes has been accused of featuring an "inaccurate" map by Vietnam.

In the 25th episode of the show, a scene of an academic lecture includes the map of China which also includes a part of the contested nine-dash line. According to Vietnam, the disputed map displayed on the show has infringed on "national sovereignty".

In January this year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism made a formal demand to Netflix to take down the series from the platform within 24 hours. Later, it was noticed that the show was no longer available on Vietnam's Netflix, making it clear that the streaming platform had conceded to the demand.

China has not yet made a statement officially in the matter and the censorship of the film in Vietnam. However, an article in a Chinese newspaper requested Vietnam to not mix "cultural exchanges" with political issues pertaining the South China Sea.

Shine On Me had gained popularity and love from fans in Vietnam and even ranked on Netflix's Top 10 shows in the country, along with other countries like Taiwan and Singapore.

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