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 Syrian government and people have roundly welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement to lift all sanctions against Syria, with many believing it will give a major boost to the conflict-ravaged country's recovery from years of civil war.
Trump announced during his visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that he would remove the long-standing sanctions on Syria, with the Syrian foreign ministry welcoming the move as a "pivotal turning point for the Syrian people".
Another significant moment came on Wednesday when Trump held a face-to-face meeting with Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Saudi capital Riyadh -- marking the first encounter between a U.S. president and a Syrian leader in decades -- with the two discussing the normalization of bilateral ties.
Prior to Trump's announcement, the Syrian foreign ministry noted that the long-imposed sanctions, which originally applied to the former government, were still having a direct impact on the Syrian people and had hindered efforts to facilitate the country's post-war recovery and reconstruction.
The news of the removal of all U.S. punitive measures was immediately met with an outpouring of joy in Syria, with large crowds taking to the streets of Damascus and elsewhere in the country to celebrate.
The Syrian pound also reportedly gained in value following Trump's decision.
Ziad Arabsh, an economic consultant for the Syrian government, said the U.S. move has now cleared a major obstacle to Syria's economic recovery and post-war reconstruction efforts.
"The access of Syria to the world technology is extremely vital to rebuild the long years [of] destroyed infrastructure, and this will lead to the economy [being boosted] and help Syria in [its] reconstruction instead of sliding into fragmentation," Arabsh said in an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Damascus.
Trump's surprise announcement came on the first day of his four-day whirlwind tour across the Middle East, which has seen him visit Saudi Arabia and Qatar before he is expected to conclude the trip in the United Arab Emirates.
Trump's remarks about the sanctions relief and his meeting with al-Sharaa came at a time when the new leadership in Damascus is striving to rally international support for the country to cope with extreme challenges after over a decade of conflict and economic hardship.
Syrians welcome Trump's announcement to lift all sanctions
