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Netflix removes spy drama episodes after Philippines' complaint over China map

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Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The Netflix logo is seen on the company" s="" office="" in="" Los="" US="" July="" Lucy="" Reuters="" File="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/11/02/philippines-netflix-map.jpg"/><figcaption>The Netflix logo is seen on the company&#x27;s office in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US July 16, 2018. <em>Lucy Nicholson, Reuters/File Photo</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>(UPDATED) Netflix Inc has removed two episodes of spy drama &quot;Pine Gap&quot; from its streaming service in the Philippines after the Southeast Asian country rejected scenes involving a map used by China to assert its claims to the South China Sea.</p><p>The Philippines on Monday asked Netflix to remove certain episodes of the six-part Australian series, saying the map depicted on the show was a violation of its sovereignty.</p><p>The second and third episodes of the show were no longer available in the Philippines by late Monday, with Netflix announcing on its platform that those episodes had been &quot;removed by government demand&quot;. It did not elaborate.</p><p>Netflix did not immediately respond to Reuters&#x27; request for comment.<br/> </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/11/01/21/ph-asks-netflix-to-remove-pine-gap-episodes-over-china-map">Philippines asks Netflix to remove spy drama episodes over Chinese map</a></li></ul><p>China lays claim to most of the South China Sea waters within the so-called nine-dash line, a U-shaped feature used on Chinese maps. Parts of the resource-rich waters are also contested by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.</p><p>After a thorough review, the Philippines&#x27; movie classification board has ruled that certain episodes of Pine Gap were &quot;unfit for public exhibition&quot;, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.</p><p>Earlier this year Netflix removed &quot;Pine Gap&quot; from its services in Vietnam following a similar complaint from the country&#x27;s broadcast authorities.</p><p>The Philippine films board, acting on the DFA&#x27;s complaint, handed down its ruling on Sept. 28. It was not clear why the decision was only made public now.</p><p>The board, according to the DFA, noted that the appearance of the map was &quot;no accident as it was consciously designed and calculated to specifically convey a message that China&#x27;s nine-dash line legitimately exists&quot;.</p><p>The board believes that &quot;such portrayal is a crafty attempt to perpetuate and memorialize in the consciousness of the present generation of viewers and the generations to come the illegal nine-dash line&quot;, the DFA said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/04/20/mtrcb-has-no-jurisdiction-over-netflix-other-video-streaming-apps-media-law-professor">MTRCB has no jurisdiction over Netflix, other video streaming apps: media law professor</a></li></ul><p>President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s office supports the removal of the episodes because they were &quot;based on very inaccurate myth and scope of the Chinese territory,&quot; said his spokesman Harry Roque. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1658971" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Netflix Inc has removed two episodes of spy drama 'Pine Gap' from its streaming service in the Philippines after the Southeast Asian country rejected scenes involving a map used by China to assert its claims to the South China Sea.