Philippines' top diplomat calls for cut to "Abominable" over China map

By Neil Jerome Morales
MANILA, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The foreign minister of the
Philippines called on Wednesday for a cut to a scene in
DreamWorks' animated film "Abominable" that shows China's
unilaterally declared "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea.
The U-shaped line is a feature used on Chinese maps to
illustrate its claims over vast expanses of the resource-rich
South China Sea, including areas claimed by other countries.
Anger in Southeast Asia over the map depicted in the film
has highlighted the problem for companies trying to address
political sensitivities in China without causing offence in
other markets.
Vietnam pulled the movie from cinemas on Monday over the
scene showing the map. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on
Twitter the scene showing the map should be cut, and people
should refuse to watch the film, rather than banning it
outright.
"Of course they should cut out the offending scene which
will show our displeasure better than if we unconstitutionally
ban it as some suggest," Locsin said.
He said the Philippine film regulator should replace the
scene with a "a hectoring lecture", while calling on movie fans
to shun the production company altogether.
"For me, call a universal boycott of all DreamWorks
productions from here on," he said.
The film regulator did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte, who has sought
closer ties with China, said on Tuesday the film regulator
should decide on whether to pull "Abominable" from Philippine
cinemas.
"Abominable", about a Chinese girl who discovers a yeti
living on her roof, was jointly produced by Shanghai-based Pearl
Studio and Comcast-owned DreamWorks Animation CMCSA.O .
The film opened in the Philippines early this month and was
no longer being screened in many major cinemas, an online search
showed.
Four Southeast Asian countries contest China's claims in the
South China Sea. Taiwan also makes a claim.
In 2016, the Philippines won a case in the Permanent Court
of Arbitration invalidating China's claims to almost the entire
stretch of sea. China does not recognise the ruling.
Last week, sports network ESPN faced criticism of its
coverage of a row between the National Basketball Association
and China after using a map that featured the nine-dash-line.

(Editing by Matthew Tostevin, Robert Birsel)