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Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
China movie on Nanjing Massacre tops summer box office
SHANGHAI - A Chinese film depicting the 1937 Nanjing Massacre by Japanese troops has topped the summer box office, with tourists flocking to the Shanghai set where it was filmed, as this year marks 80 years since the end of World War II. The film "Dead to Rights," released on July 25, has grossed more than 2.3 billion yuan ($321 million) and attracted over 60 million viewers, according to Chinese media. With its graphic scenes of Japanese soldiers shooting large numbers of Chinese civilians and throwing infants to the ground, the film has raised concerns that it could fuel anti-Japan sentiment among viewers. Set in Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China under the Nationalist government, which fell in the 1937 battle and came under Japanese control, the film tells the story of Chinese civilians who took refuge in a local photography studio. In a bid to survive, they are forced to help a Japanese military photographer develop film, only to discover negatives showing atrocities committed by Japanese troops. They secretly keep the negatives and risk their lives to smuggle them out. Among the viewers at a Shanghai theater was a woman in her 30s who came with her elementary school-aged daughter. She said it was "no problem" for her child to see the cruel scenes. A large number of people have praised the film in social media posts, while videos of children saying Japan "should never be forgiven" and tearing up cards of Japanese animation characters after seeing the movie have gone viral. The 25,000-square-meter site in Shanghai where the film was shot was opened to the public in late July. It features recreated historical buildings of Nanjing, including partially destroyed structures and scattered debris. Many families took commemorative photos in front of a photo studio shown in the movie. "I came here to tell my child that the tragic history of China must not be forgotten," said a 38-year-old woman who visited the site with her 9-year-old daughter. Some people were critical of the movie. A Shanghai man in his 60s said children "should not be educated to hold a grudge against a foreign country." A man in his 30s from Nanjing said he believes the film's release was intended to "fuel patriotism and divert public attention from misrule" amid the Asian powerhouse's economic downturn. Earlier this month, "Dead to Rights" premiered in North America. On Aug. 6, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng told the premiere, "The 1.4 billion Chinese people will never tolerate any attempt to tamper with the history of WWII, and all the peace-loving people in the world will never accept any move to turn back the wheel of history," according to the Chinese Embassy in Washington. To mark the 80th anniversary of what China calls its victory in the 1937-1945 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, it plans to hold a military parade in Tiananmen Square in the capital on Sept. 3. Similar war-themed movies have been or are set to be released in China this year. A film about the Imperial Japanese Army's notorious Unit 731 will be screened from Sept. 18, the 94th anniversary of the bombing of a railroad track near Shenyang -- an event that triggered the Manchurian Incident and led to Japan's invasion of northeastern China. Millions of people online have expressed interest in the film about the unit, which historians say conducted biological and chemical warfare research in China during World War II.
South China Morning Post
30-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
For some China retailers, US still offers path to profit, one toy or tea order at a time
On a recent Sunday afternoon in lower Manhattan, a small shop inside the Oculus, a soaring curvilinear mall at the World Trade Center, stands out for the bustling crowd thronging its space. 'We're out of stock,' more than one employee can be heard telling customers. This is not one of New York's many top-brand boutiques but Pop Mart, a Chinese designer toy brand that has become a sensation in the United States. Its signature 'blind box', containing collectable figurines revealed only when the box is opened, runs for a mere US$20. In a sign of the buzz around Pop Mart, Xie Feng, Beijing's ambassador to Washington, recently cited one of its offerings, Labubu, as an example of a Chinese brand touching American consumers' hearts. During remarks at a US-China Business Council event in Washington in June, Xie mentioned the toy in the same breath as DeepSeek , the Chinese AI firm that took its burgeoning industry by surprise earlier this year.
South China Morning Post
03-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Will a calmer approach to US-China relations work out for Beijing?
Advertisement Beyond this brief moment in the spotlight, however, Xie has kept a lower profile during Trump's second term, in stark contrast to his predecessors Cui Tiankai and Qin Gang, who actively engaged American audiences to counter negative perceptions of China. At events such as the 2024 Harvard Kennedy School China Conference, despite facing pro-Tibetan protests, he maintained a composed demeanour, emphasising modernisation and cooperation rather than confronting his critics directly, a sharp contrast to Qin's more combative approach. Xie's style aligns more closely with Cui, China's longest-serving ambassador to the US, who was known for his measured, professional approach. Cui, who served as ambassador between 2013 and 2021, adeptly navigated turbulence during the Barack Obama era and Trump's first term, actively engaging US officials and lawmakers, media and think tanks, while forging personal ties with the Trump family. Advertisement Highly regarded in both Beijing and Washington, Cui was viewed as a skilled communicator and an interlocutor who understood American politics.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Following their 'Footprints'
'My China Album' event celebrates discovery journeys by US citizens WASHINGTON, May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The following article was published today by China Daily. China and the United States each has strengths in science and technology, and the right path forward is mutual learning and cooperation for shared success, Beijing's top envoy in Washington said on Wednesday, as the US announced new curbs on tech exports. "Blockades never prevent breakthroughs; churning waves won't hold back determined ships," Ambassador Xie Feng said at the premiere of the documentary My China Album — My China Footprints and the Glimpses of Modern China show. The event celebrated the sixth edition of "My China Album", an annual initiative co-hosted by the embassy and China Daily, featuring personal stories, short films and interactive exhibits that explore US citizens' experiences in China. Washington ordered a broad swath of companies to stop shipping goods — including design software, machine tools and aviation equipment — to China without a license and revoked licenses already granted to certain suppliers, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The new restrictions followed earlier US guidelines seeking to globally restrict the use of Chinese advanced computing chips. In a rare showcase in Washington of China's robotics technology, a 1.3-meter-tall humanoid robot, developed by Chinese tech company Unitree Robotics, invited Xie to the stage at the start of Wednesday's event at the embassy. "So cute. I never thought that I would be invited on stage, you know, by a robot. So who knows, maybe one day it will be the one standing here giving the speech," Xie quipped. He noted China's pursuit of innovation is not to oppose or out-compete anyone, but to improve the lives of its own people and the greater development of humanity. "A big yard with iron curtains only leads to isolation; blocking other countries slows global innovation; and weaponizing scientific collaboration harms one's own credibility and weakens competitiveness," Xie said, without mentioning any of the fresh US curbs. But he did recall the past feats the two countries made in science and tech exchange. They include joint efforts to promote folic acid intake that helped millions of newborns, and helping Africa combat Ebola. Most recently, China shared lunar soil samples from the Chang'e 5 mission with Brown University and Stony Brook University. In his speech, Xie noted that China is using technology to improve lives at home and around the world. He highlighted China's advances in green development and technology, noting that over 87 percent of days in China last year had good air quality, and the country created one-quarter of the world's new green spaces. China has also built the world's largest renewable energy system, employing nearly half of the global workforce in the sector. Its solar and wind products are exported to over 200 countries and regions, helping cut global carbon emissions by over 3.6 billion tons. Xie also pointed to DeepSeek, an open-source AI model, as an example of China's openness and contribution to global progress, offering hope for bridging the digital divide in the Global South. The ambassador also said that it is people-to-people ties that invigorate China-US relations. "The future of this relationship ultimately depends on the two peoples. We warmly welcome more American friends to travel in China, shop in China, succeed in China and take part in Chinese modernization," he said. In addition to the feature-length documentary My China Footprints, Wednesday's event also featured four short films, telling stories that are diverse, yet unified by a common thread — the powerful impact of people-to-people exchange. In My City, My Home, the audience met Charles Stone, a lawyer who discovered tranquility and safety in Shenzhen, and Neil Schmid, a researcher deeply engaged with the ancient Buddhist art of Dunhuang. Welcome to the Future took viewers on a journey through China's technological achievements — from the speed of sleek bullet trains to the everyday convenience of QR code payments — as seen by students like Ruthie Fike and content creators like BeeRose. Common stereotypes Meanwhile, Misconceptions vs. Reality offered a refreshing counter-narrative to common stereotypes. It followed Dustin Madison, who was surprised to find Shenzhen especially welcoming for families, and Katherine Loraine Olson, who explored China's abundant green spaces. The final short film, City or Not City, documented the whirlwind travels of Thelma Lancaster and Evan Kail, who made full use of China's extended 240-hour visa-free transit policy to explore Beijing and Tianjin, immersing themselves in the culture despite a brief visit. "These stories matter because they remind us of what's possible. Yes, tensions exist in China-US relations — trade disputes and the technology barriers created by the US dominate news headlines — but cooperation and friendship remain the bigger story," Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said in a video speech. Citing President Xi Jinping's remarks that "the hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels", Qu said that projects like "My China Album" prove this to be right. "From Bill Einreinhofer, who is at the event today, sharing his Emmy-winning insights, to tech firms like Rokid showcasing innovation, tonight's event reflects that vitality," Qu said. "China Daily is proud to amplify these voices, showing a real, vibrant China to America." More than 200 people, including people from all walks of life in the US, attended the event. In the Glimpses of Modern China show, participants were wowed by a dancing robot dog from Unitree that can walk on two legs and shake hands with visitors. There was also a robot that could do Chinese kung fu, and also help people with fire and earthquake detection. At the demonstration site of Rokid, a Hangzhou-based AR (augmented reality) glasses maker, Spanish and English-speaking visitors found that they had no difficulty talking with the Rokid staffers, who spoke Chinese with them. The AI-powered glasses can translate more than 100 languages in real time. By ZHAO HUANXIN in Washington View original content: SOURCE China Daily USA Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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Business Standard
19-05-2025
- General
- Business Standard
2,300-yr-old silk manuscripts finally return to China after 79 years in US
Two volumes of the 2,300-year-old Zidanku Silk Manuscripts arrived in Beijing from the United States in the early hours of Sunday, marking the end of a 79-year journey abroad, reported The South China Morning Post. Volumes II and III of the ancient silk texts, which date back to around 300 BC during China's Warring States Period, were returned by the National Museum of Asian Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. They are considered the oldest known silk books discovered in China and are over a century older than the Dead Sea Scrolls. The manuscripts were unearthed in 1942 from a tomb in Zidanku, Changsha, in central China. They were first acquired by a Chinese collector and later smuggled out of the country in 1946 by American collector John Hadley Cox. The fragments were gifted to the Smithsonian in 1992. Volume I of the three-volume set remains with the privately held Arthur M Sackler Foundation. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that efforts are ongoing to facilitate its return. China's ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, said the manuscripts' return represents a significant moment in China-US cultural cooperation. 'The return of the Zidanku manuscripts reflects a national revival, as lost treasures of Chinese civilisation make their way home,' he said. Cultural relics reflect the splendor of civilization, preserve the legacy of history, and uphold the spirit of the nation. Each artifact carries the spirit and lineage of a nation, touching the hearts of all Chinese people. I'm so delighted to witness the return of the Zidanku… — Xie Feng 谢锋 (@AmbXieFeng) May 17, 2025 According to Xie, around 600 artefacts have been returned to China from the US, including more than 40 this year. Experts believe the silk manuscripts contain ritual or divinatory texts, possibly linked to mythical figures such as Fuxi and Nuwa. They are seen as key sources for the study of early Chinese religion, cosmology, and intellectual history. Li Ling, professor in the Chinese department at Peking University, told CCTV that the Zidanku manuscripts are culturally comparable to the Dead Sea Scrolls. 'They speak to our ancient knowledge systems, our understanding of the cosmos, and the details of everyday life,' he said. The two returned volumes will go on public display in July at the National Museum of China in Beijing.
