Netflix has removed a Chinese series from its Vietnam platform after Hanoi objected to an episode that featured a map showing disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea. The 27-episode romance drama “Sign on Me” includes photos of the alleged “nine-dash line,” which Vietnam has condemned as “incorrect” and a “violation of national sovereignty.”

China uses the line on its map to demarcate its territorial claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam is one of several countries to oppose these claims. Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture gave Netflix 24 hours to remove the series on January 3. The series has now been removed from Netflix’s Vietnam platform.

The controversial map appeared several times in episode 25 of “Sign on Me,” which featured a presentation about China’s solar energy potential. The show’s main characters appear during a speech where a map of China showing part of the nine-dash line is projected onto an auditorium screen.

‘Sign on Me’ is popular in China and other regions. Before the series was removed, it was one of Netflix’s top 10 shows in Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Beijing has not officially commented on the ban, although its state-run Global Times newspaper published an article on Tuesday urging Hanoi to “keep cultural exchanges separate from the South China Sea issue.” China has been asserting sovereignty over many territories and adjacent waters in the South China Sea in recent years, despite protests from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

In 2023, Vietnam also ordered Netflix to remove another Chinese series, “Flight to You,” from a similar map. These are not the only Chinese series that Vietnam has banned for featuring the nine-dash line. Authorities also banned Warner Bros.’ Hollywood blockbuster “Barbie” in 2023 and DreamWorks’ animated film “Abominable” in 2016.