An experienced voice actress in Vietnam has enriched her career by dubbing Chinese films and TV series, highlighting how visual entertainment plays a role in promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries.
In Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, many people enjoy watching Chinese films and TV series. For decades, these shows have played a very important role in the local entertainment scenes.
Hellen Nguyen, a voice actress who has been dubbing movies for 30 years, started to dub Chinese films in 2014. She said that the more she dubs, the more she enjoys the films, with Chinese family-themed movies being her favorite.
"I grew up watching the Chinese drama 'Journey to the West', and it sparked my love for Chinese movies and dramas. I find them heart-warming, especially since their stories feel quite similar to those in Vietnam. It’s like watching reflections of my own culture," said Nguyen.
Thanks to translation apps on cell phones, the voice actors and actresses can easily leap over the language barrier as they find the right words in Vietnamese that capture the original meaning of the Chinese.
With her rich experience, Nguyen said she needs only a few minutes to grasp Chinese rhythm.
"Last year, I dubbed a Chinese TV program that introduced cuisine from China and ASEAN countries. Chinese TV shows and films made available in Vietnam help both nations understand each other’s cultures better. It feels as if we are traveling through China and Vietnam right from our screens," she said.
Chinese film and television culture has long been integrated into Vietnamese life. TV stations across over 50 provinces regularly air Chinese films and series, while online platforms and mobile devices also facilitate this trend.
Vietnam's dubbing of Chinese films brings two cultures closer
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Sunday said Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's accusations that the island country provided "security services" to Venezuela in exchange for oil.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump suggested Cuba should make a deal with Washington.
"There will be no more oil or money going to Cuba -- Zero! I strongly suggest they make a deal, before it is too late," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
"Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela," Trump said.
However, Trump did not specify the terms of a deal or the consequences Cuba could face.
Diaz-Canel said on X that the United States has "no moral authority to point the finger at Cuba in anything", adding that the U.S. side turns everything, even human lives, into a business.
Diaz-Canel said that the United States is "hysterical" against the Caribbean nation because of the sovereign decision of the Cuban people to choose their political model.
"Those who blame the Revolution for the severe economic hardships we suffer should be ashamed and keep quiet," he said. "Because they know and recognize that they are the result of the draconian measures of extreme asphyxiation that the United States has imposed on us for six decades."
Cuba does not attack or threaten other countries, said Diaz-Canel, adding that the country is ready to defend itself "to the last drop of blood".
Also on Sunday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the United States behaves like a criminal and unchecked hegemon that threatens peace and security, not only in Cuba and this hemisphere, but throughout the entire world.
In an X post, Rodriguez said Cuba has the absolute right to import fuel from markets willing to export it and develop trade relations without interference or subordination to unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States.
Venezuela on Sunday reiterated its "historic stance" toward Cuba, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the principles of "fraternity, solidarity, cooperation and complementarity", despite mounting pressure from Washington to isolate the Caribbean nation.
The Venezuelan government released a statement underscoring its support for the free exercise of self-determination and sovereignty of peoples, which it considers fundamental pillars of international relations.
It emphasized its adherence to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and international law, highlighting the longstanding and evolving ties between Venezuela and Cuba.
The Venezuelan government stressed that relations between states should be governed by the principles of non-intervention, sovereign equality and self-determination, and that "political and diplomatic dialogue" is the only viable path to "peacefully resolve disputes of any kind".
Cuban president says ready to defend Cuba, refutes Trump's accusations
