Moviegoers will be spoiled for choice during the upcoming May Day holiday as 13 new films spanning multiple genres will hit theaters across China, offering something for every taste.
The holiday lineup features a strong showing of reality-based films, with "The Dumpling Queen", inspired by a true rags-to-riches story, and "The Open Door", a comedy exploring live-streaming culture, currently leading advance ticket sales.
Road comedy "I Grass I Love", which has recently premiered at the Beijing International Film Festival, is also gaining traction.
Adding to the excitement, the Movie Carnival media event in Qingdao unveiled its 2025 most-anticipated list, including blockbusters like "The Wandering Earth 3" and "The Volunteers: To the War 3" across genres from sci-fi to historical drama.
The holiday period, running from May 1-5, is considered a key test for China's film market ahead of the summer season. With major studios strategically positioning their releases and independent films finding their niche, industry observers anticipate robust box office performance.
Diverse film lineup set to enliven May Day holiday box office in China
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos in Changsha, capital city of central China's Hunan Province, on Wednesday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that during the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali held in-depth and friendly exchanges and reached new common understandings on advancing the all-weather strategic partnership.
China and Ethiopia have worked together to achieve early results in implementing the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, helping Ethiopia accelerate its development and revitalization and also bringing more tangible benefits to the Ethiopian people, he added.
Noting that China and Ethiopia share a glorious history of resisting and overcoming foreign aggression, and now stand as important representatives of the Global South and members of BRICS, Wang said that China is ready to work with Ethiopia to enhance strategic communication, promote common development through mutually beneficial cooperation, and safeguard common interests through solidarity and coordination.
The two sides should strengthen the synergy of development strategies and explore and expand cooperation in new energy vehicles, green industries, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence, he said.
Timothewos said that Ethiopia enjoys a robust partnership with China, and that the two sides have achieved fruitful outcomes through practical cooperation, which demonstrates the solidarity and mutual trust between the two countries and sets a model for the Global South. He thanked China for its strong support on issues concerning Ethiopia's core interests and its valuable assistance to Africa's development. Ethiopia will continue to firmly uphold the one-China principle, he said.
Timothewos congratulated China on successfully launching and establishing the International Organization for Mediation, and expressed Ethiopia's readiness to strengthen cooperation with China in the peaceful settlement of disputes.
The two sides also exchanged views on enhancing coordination and cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and BRICS, and expressed readiness to jointly increase the voice and representation of the Global South and pool collective strength for common revitalization.
Chinese FM meets Ethiopian counterpart in Changsha
