Restrain, negotiation key to maintaining peace in South China Sea: former Chinese Vice FM

Former Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying on Saturday said the Philippines' actions in the South China Sea threaten to undermine the hard-earned stability achieved by regional countries who have embraced negotiation.

Fu made the remarks as she attended a discussion on maritime tensions at the ongoing Munich Security Conference (MSC), which kicked off on Friday in Germany.

"If the Philippines can take new rocks, how can you stop others? How can you stop China from taking more? We are capable, there's no problem. But we are exercising constraint," she said.

Countries in the region have provided wisdom as they have cooperated over the past decades to prevent war, she added.

She also noted that the South China Sea is one of the busiest sea lanes and said China has been acting professionally to ensure prosperity and development in the region.

Ng Eng Hen, Singapore's Defense Minister, provided a historical backdrop for U.S. involvement in South China Sea affairs.

"China's actions in the South China Sea, if we are frank about it, are a response to U.S. containment strategy. It was a strategy that originated from the U.S. campaign to contain the Japanese expansion in World War II," he said.

Panelists said that the involvement of countries outside the region, like the U.S., hinders the sincere efforts of regional countries to maintain peace.

"China has the South China Sea issue not only with the Philippines but also with Vietnam, with Malaysia, with Indonesia. They all handled it very well and peacefully. The reason only the Philippines has some problems with China is because now there are nine U.S. military bases in the Philippines, and that may provoke the Philippines to [be] bold to change the status quo," said Wang Huiyao, president of Center for China and Globalization.

On China-U.S. ties, Fu said that the two sides should avoid confrontation and co-exist peacefully.

"The U.S. has launched this strategic competition with China, but you don't hear China talking about accepting, defining our relationship with the U.S. as competition," she said.

Chris Coons, a U.S. Democratic Senator, called on all parties involved to actively prevent conflict.

"In the South China Sea, making sure that professional conduct is not the majority, but is uniformly what is observed and avoiding unintended collisions, accidents, and then escalation is a key responsibility of major powers and of partners in the region," he said.

The three-day MSC gathers around 60 heads of state and government, 150 ministers, and leaders of major international organizations. Key topics on the agenda include global governance, climate security, and regional conflicts and crises. The future of the transatlantic relationship, particularly in light of the return of U.S. President Trump, will also be discussed.

Restrain, negotiation key to maintaining peace in South China Sea: former Chinese Vice FM

Restrain, negotiation key to maintaining peace in South China Sea: former Chinese Vice FM

Restrain, negotiation key to maintaining peace in South China Sea: former Chinese Vice FM

Restrain, negotiation key to maintaining peace in South China Sea: former Chinese Vice FM

Restrain, negotiation key to maintaining peace in South China Sea: former Chinese Vice FM

Movie fans stepped into the shooting locations of racing-comedy film "Pegasus 3" to explore the industrial site that served as the racetrack in the film during a public open day event on Saturday in Ningbo City, east China's Zhejiang Province.

"Pegasus 3" is the third installment in Director Han Han's racing-comedy franchise starring Shen Teng, one of China's most bankable comedic actors. As of Monday, it has surpassed a box office of over 41 billion yuan (around 596 million U.S. dollars), according to ticketing tracker Maoyan.

A refining plant belonging to Sinopec Zhenhai Refining and Chemical Company, a key filming location for "Pegasus 3," saw its unique industrial landscape transformed into a futuristic cyberpunk-style racetrack in the film.

On the open day event at the plant, many fans located the starting point of the "Muchen 100 Rally" qualifying track from the movie while gathering near the entrance. Refining towers, pipe corridors and lighting perfectly matched the shots seen in the film.

"I'm so happy to visit the plant after seeing 'Pegasus 3.' Seeing these buildings and lights in person makes me feel very proud," said Zheng Sijun, a movie fan.

Many industrial facilities, roads and embankment greenways in the plant area appeared in the film's racetrack scenes. These real industrial settings became a vital part of the movie's visual effects.

Fans also entered the central control room of the refinery to get a close-up look at operations.

"When watching the movie, we only saw a general view of the plant on screen. But coming to the site, you realize this is a truly huge, vast and awe-inspiring industrial complex," said Wang Ziyi, another movie fan.

The event's success indicates that the public's passion for film can be translated into educational initiatives, boosting awareness of China's advancements in productive forces among everyday people in the country.

Popular racing film spurs visits to shooting location in east China's Ningbo city