China's animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" was officially released in Malaysia on Thursday, captivating audiences with its record-breaking success in China, positive reviews, and widespread social media acclaim.
Eager moviegoers flocked to witness the cinematic spectacle firsthand, and they were quick to praise the movie's depiction of Chinese culture, stunning visual effect, and well-crafted storyline, expressing enthusiasm for the fresh take on animated storytelling.
"It's fantastic, truly fantastic, and the plot beautifully encapsulates our Chinese culture. It's great," said a moviegoer.
"I never expected a Chinese story to have such a high-quality visual effect and a well-developed narrative," said another moviegoer.
"We used to watch Japanese animations, which are relatively passionate. Now, I think these are more passionate than them," said still another moviegoer.
Tan Cheong Tatt, chief operations officer of TGV Cinemas, highlighted the unprecedented response to "Ne Zha 2".
"The customers have been starting booking ticket on [since] Sunday when we first allowed ticket booking, and the response has been to the extent that we have not seen before. So, we are very encouraged by the response," he said.
Meanwhile, the recent success of two other Chinese films during the Chinese New Year holiday season in late January and early February underscores the rising trend of Chinese cinema in Malaysia.
"We are very pleased to see that [there is] significant improvement in terms of quality of the Chinese movie, Chinese-made movie, in terms of the storyline, in terms of appeal to the customers, and we also find that they appeal to all segments of customers in Malaysia," Tan said.
Chinese-language films in Malaysia are subtitled in English and Malay, broadening their appeal beyond the ethnic Chinese population to attract a diverse audience and contributing to the continuous success of Chinese films at the Malaysian box office.
"Ne Zha 2" has achieved the milestone of grossing 1 billion U.S. dollars in a single market, China, where it was released on Jan. 29. It has become the first non-Hollywood film to exceed 2 billion U.S. dollars in global earnings, including presales, according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan.
Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" captivates Malaysian audiences
The two-state solution is the only path to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, former Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Guangzhou, southern China’s Guangdong Province.
The two-state solution refers to a proposed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, aiming to establish two independent states -- Israel and Palestine -- coexisting in peace and security.
"I believe the core of the conflict is the fact that we have people -- the Palestinians -- that have suffered for almost eight decades, and that are probably the only people in the world today that are under siege, being attacked, being killed. I don't see any other solution other than giving them their own state with 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as their capital, which was what was presented in the Arab Summit 22 years ago in 2002. And the 22 Arab countries were ready to sign a peace treaty based on that condition that the Palestinians will have their own state, their own dignity, their own homeland. And this has not happened since," Diab said in the interview aired on Friday.
Resolving the Palestinian question and achieving lasting peace in the Middle East requires the concerted efforts of the entire international community, including major powers like China, Diab noted.
"It's about global balance of power. So, China, being a major player at the global level, can contribute towards a peace resolution, and they have done that before. But everybody needs an end to this conflict, and the only way to end this conflict is to create a Palestinian state for Palestinians. The two-state solution -- I think, it's only fair -- to have Palestinians have their own state and determine their own future without dictation by anybody," he said.
The former Lebanese leader highlighted China's long-standing ties with Lebanon and the Middle East, emphasizing its proactive and fair role in regional affairs. He noted China's historical connections with the region and its potential contribution to achieving a political resolution, including the widely discussed two-state solution.
"China has always been a friend to Lebanon and a friend to the Middle East. There are Lebanese-Chinese ties from a long time ago at the trade level and so on. And yes, China is playing a proactive role even at the political level. China, as a fair player, would, in my mind, be conducive to reaching the political solution and the two-state solution that everybody talks about," Diab said.
Two-state solution only way to resolve Palestine-Israel conflict: former Lebanese PM
