Vietnam has pulled popular “Baby Three dolls” from stores due to a marking resembling China’s controversial “nine-dash line.” The backlash has impacted sales significantly, with vendors reporting drastic declines. The dispute reflects broader geopolitical tensions regarding sovereignty in the South China Sea.

Recent international tensions regarding the South China Sea have influenced the toy market in Vietnam, particularly affecting popular children’s dolls. The “Baby Three dolls,” which became favorites among Vietnamese youth, faced scrutiny over a marking on their cheeks resembling China’s “nine-dash line,” a controversial assertion of territorial claims by Beijing that Vietnam also challenges.

In response to a growing online backlash regarding the “Town rabbit V2” model of these dolls, Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade initiated inspections on toys perceived to pose threats to national security. As a result, numerous vendors in Hanoi reported the removal of the implicated dolls from their inventories, resulting in severe declines in sales across all models of the product.

A vendor, who chose to remain anonymous, noted that her sales of “Baby Three dolls,” which once reached 100 a day, reduced dramatically as consumers began to view purchases as unpatriotic. Data from YouNet ECI revealed that prices for these dolls plummeted significantly within just a few weeks of 2025.

The debate continues as several other products and brands, including a Chinese milk tea franchise called Chagee, faced backlash in Vietnam over similar representations of the nine-dash line. This follows precedents where other media, including the film “Barbie,” were banned or censored in Vietnam due to their association with this contentious map, illustrating ongoing sensitivities about national sovereignty in relation to China’s territorial claims.

In summary, the controversy surrounding the “Baby Three dolls” serves as a significant example of the intersection between consumer culture and national identity in Vietnam. The severe backlash against these toys emphasizes rising nationalistic sentiments toward foreign products perceived to undermine Vietnam’s sovereignty. This incident not only illustrates the broader geopolitical dynamics at play in the South China Sea but also highlights how such tensions can permeate into daily consumer activities.

Original Source: www.vtcng.com

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