Starring in panda-themed action comedy, Jackie Chan shares personal connection to pandas

Panda Plan, an action-comedy starring renowned kung fu actor Jackie Chan, held a promotional roadshow in Beijing on Saturday, where Chan shared his personal connection to pandas, and the director discussed the creative process behind the film.

Released on Sept. 30, the film tells the story of an adorable panda cub named Hu Hu, adopted by world-renowned kung fu star Jackie, who soon becomes the target of a global crime syndicate. Jackie teams up with his agent and a dedicated panda keeper to embark on a high-stakes mission to rescue the cub.

Reflecting on his personal experience with pandas, Chan recalled how in 2009 he signed an adoption agreement with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a world-renowned institution for the conservation of giant pandas, donating one million yuan (about 142,485 U.S. dollars) to adopt two pandas. During the event, he shared anecdotes about traveling the world with panda dolls modeled after the real pandas.

"I adopted two pandas myself, and I even made panda dolls to take with me on my travels, from the Oscars to the Buckingham Palace. Everywhere I went, people would first recognize me and say 'ah, Jackie', then see the pandas and say, 'Oh, so cute!' and take photos. Pandas represent China, but they also stand for friendship and peace, which is especially important in today's world. I hope this film can inspire global audiences and promote peace," Chan said.

Since its release, "Panda Plan" has seen remarkable success, rising from the fifth to the third place at the daily box office.

"The film is already scheduled for release in 64 countries. We've just started with the United States, Canada, Brunei and Malaysia, and we'll continue unlocking release dates in other regions," said Zhang Luan, director of the movie.

The success of the movie was the result of the dedicated efforts of the entire cast and crew. Zhang highlighted how many of the action scenes were directly influenced by Jackie Chan during filming.

"Jackie was always suggesting new ideas. We'd try out different approaches until we found something exciting and fun. His extensive experience on set really helped us bring out the most entertaining elements from the script, refining them as we went along," Zhang said.

Starring in panda-themed action comedy, Jackie Chan shares personal connection to pandas

The ripple effects of tensions in the Middle East have now spread to the major eastern Chinese trading hub of Yiwu, a city famously known as "the world's supermarket," as companies and traders try to work around the disruption and rely on strong logistics networks across the region to keep business moving.

The Yiwu International Trade Market has become an important center for foreign trade, housing nearly 80,000 booths offering over two million types of commodities. However, the recent situation brought by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the disruption it has caused to both shipping transport and air cargo is forcing some traders to take steps to mitigate the impact.

Zhang Shidan, a plastic household goods trader in Yiwu, said her company has been left with no choice but to raise product prices as transportation and insurance costs have surged due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.

"We will adjust prices after the stocks of most products run out. The prices are expected to rise by 10 percent," Zhang said.

The travel turmoil brought by the conflict has also created a headache for customers from the region who are trying to reach Yiwu themselves.

"We flew from Lebanon to Egypt, from Egypt to Dubai, from Dubai to Hangzhou. It's a long time. Because in [the main] Lebanon airport, only one company can fly -- a Middle East company -- so its expensive," said Heysam Yassine, a Lebanese buyer.

While making the trip from the Middle East to Yiwu has become more difficult, logistics companies with well-established supply chain networks across the region are helping to cushion the impact on trade and working to distribute goods as best as they can.

"We have 28 warehouses across 12 countries in the Middle East, so we have a relatively complete layout in the region," said Chen Fangfang, general manager of Safe Way Express Cargo, a logistics and cargo shipping firm.

Last year, the total value of Yiwu's exports reached over 100 billion U.S. dollars, with more than 14 billion U.S. dollars going to Middle Eastern markets.

Traders in Yiwu look to work around Middle East disruption, rely on strong logistics networks