Given Australia has recently sought to steady its rocky relationship with China, this cooperation with the Philippines could come at a cost.
Actor Margot Robbie blows out a candle on the cake to celebrate her birthday during the pink carpet event for the movie ‘Barbie’ in Seoul, South Korea, in July 2023.
(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Once the context of cultural and territorial appropriation by China in Southeast Asia are understood, Vietnam’s ban of the Barbie movie isn’t surprising.
As tensions in the disputed waters mount, it’s important to understand how this conflict began and what international law says about freedom of navigation and competing maritime claims.
Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
Reuters
China claims ownership of almost all of the South China Sea and refuses to abide by a recent ruling calling that hogwash. Why does China want to control the sea so badly?