China's blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' enters Top 50 of global box office chart

Chinese animated film "Ne Zha 2" became the first Asian film to enter the Top 50 of the global box office chart, according to data from an online platform.

According to Chinese ticketing platform Beacon, "Ne Zha 2," a sequel to the 2019 hit featuring a mythical boy with magical powers and exceptional martial arts skills, grossed over 7.503 billion yuan (over 1.03 billion U.S. dollars) as of 23:30 Beijing Time on Saturday.

This figure surpassed the box office earnings of " Despicable Me 3," an American comedy 3D animation released in 2017. “Ne Zha 2” has since become the first non-Hollywood film to enter the Top 10 of the global animation box office list.

"Ne Zha 2" premiered in Chinese cinemas on Jan 29, alongside other films such as "Detective Chinatown 1900" and "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force." Together, these films helped the Chinese New Year holiday box office revenue reach a historic milestone of 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars).

China's blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' enters Top 50 of global box office chart

China's blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' enters Top 50 of global box office chart

China's blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' enters Top 50 of global box office chart

China's blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' enters Top 50 of global box office chart

President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Jae Myung has expressed his hope that his upcoming visit to China will help eliminate past misunderstandings and issues, underscoring the importance of ties between the two countries.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee will pay a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7. It will be Lee's first visit to China since he took office.

In an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Seoul on Wednesday, Lee acknowledged the existing misunderstandings and issues between the two countries, noting that addressing these issues is a key goal of his visit.

"The current international landscape is turbulent, with escalating issues among various countries. In this context, the relationship between the Republic of Korea and China holds significant importance for us. the ROK and China are deeply interconnected in many areas, including history, economy, geopolitics, politics and security. Northeast Asia's peace, stability, mutual respect, and common prosperity are crucial for both countries," said Lee.

"Admittedly, there have been some misunderstandings and issues between the ROK and China, which have hindered the development of bilateral relations to some extent. Therefore, the purpose of my upcoming visit to China is to minimize or eliminate these past issues, foster a leap in our bilateral relations to a new level, and solidify the ROK and China as partners that mutually support each other's development," he said.

ROK President hopes to reduce misunderstandings with China during upcoming visit