Multilateralism key to reducing conflicts: Irish prime minister

On his official visit to China, Taoiseach of Ireland Micheal Martin expressed his willingness to deepen cooperation with China and enhance coordination in multilateral affairs, saying that multilateralism is the key to reducing conflicts.

Martin's visit to China from Jan 4 to 8 marked the first visit by an Irish government head in 14 years and Martin's first since taking office.

During an interview with the China Media Group on Tuesday, Martin spoke highly of the achievements China has made over the past two decades.

"I visited here 20 years ago, and it was much different than now in terms of the advancement and the progress. I mean the modernity and the extraordinary and rapid progress in China, in terms of urbanization, in terms of the lifting of hundreds of millions of people out of poverty through economic development and progress. That all has to be acknowledged," he said.

Martin emphasized the cooperation between Ireland and China and stressed the crucial role of high-level dialog. He said dialog and communication is a simple and important act between people.

"If you close off and if you disengage, problems get worse. You imagine things that are not there. You become more suspicious of the person that you're dealing with. So, my point basically is, and as a former minister of foreign affairs, diplomacy matters. Keeping dialog going matters. Keeping the channels of communication is essential because if you talk and if you keep engaging, issues can get resolved, misunderstandings can be dealt with," he said.

In his meeting with President Xi Jinping on Monday, Martin said Ireland is willing to deepen cooperation with China in trade, investment, science and technology, biomedicine, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, education and other fields.

He also commended China's indispensable and important role in international affairs and its positive contributions to upholding the authority of the UN and promoting world peace. He said the world needs to work together to reduce conflicts.

"Multilateralism is the key to reduction of conflict and war. We all agreed at the moment that the world is not in a happy place. It's a shocking situation that we have so many wars in Sudan, in Ukraine, in Gaza, and too many people, innocent people are dying. So, the world needs to take stock trying reduce the conflict. So President Xi was equally clear on this, that we do need at the UN level to try and can we recover the authority of the UN and stop these wars," he said.

Multilateralism key to reducing conflicts: Irish prime minister

Multilateralism key to reducing conflicts: Irish prime minister

Multilateralism key to reducing conflicts: Irish prime minister

Multilateralism key to reducing conflicts: Irish prime minister

An industry observer said that 2026 is poised to be a "year of sequels and cultural stories" in global animation, following a strong 2025 where such films dominated box offices worldwide.

With heavyweights like Toy Story 5, Minions 3, and China's perennial favorite Boonie Bears set for release, along with culturally rooted productions such as The Three Kingdoms: War 1 Luoyang, the coming months are expected to draw large audiences and reinforce animation's central role in cinema.

This optimism is built on a solid foundation from the previous year.

Looking back at China's film market in 2025, animated features emerged as a powerful driving force. Four of the year's top 10 highest-grossing films were animations, three of which were domestic productions.

Total animation revenue exceeded 25 billion yuan (around 3.58 billion U.S. dollars), capturing nearly 50 percent of the annual box office. As the new year unfolds, the animation sector continues to shine with promising highlights.

A key trend driving this momentum is the surge of sequels from major franchises.

"One notable trend is the abundance of sequels to classic animated films, particularly from Hollywood. Several iconic series are releasing new installments, making 2026 a year of animated sequels. Given their strong IP foundation, these sequels are expected to attract more audiences' attention and achieve solid box office results," said Hu Jianli, secretary general of the Chinese Film Critics Society.

Alongside these international sequels, domestic animation IPs are also deepening their influence and expanding their reach. The annual Boonie Bears series will welcome its latest installment, while the popular TV series The Immortal Ascension is set for its big-screen debut.

"It's fair to say that the Boonie Bears series has maintained the most consistent quality among domestic animated film franchises over the years. Its expansion from television to movies, merchandise, and theme parks represents a fully developed industrial chain, greatly strengthening the IP's presence in the public consciousness. As for The Immortal Ascension, it's the first time that the animation IP is adapted for the big screen, which naturally generates exceptional attention—especially following the successful live-action web series last year. If this first animated film adaptation succeeds, it has the potential to become a major film IP in its own right," said Hu.

Beyond the reliance on established franchises, another significant creative trend is the growing number of animated films drawing inspiration from China's rich classical literature and historical epics. This approach aims to connect with audiences through deeply rooted cultural narratives.

A leading example is a prominent Chinese animation studio Light Chaser Animation's upcoming "The Three Kingdoms: War 1 Luoyang", which dramatizes the early power struggles from the famed historical period.

"We are seeing a clear increase in animated films adapted from classic Chinese novels and myths. Light Chaser Animation Studios' 'New Culture Series' has performed exceptionally well in our animated film market—for example, 30,000 Miles from Changan earned over 1.8 billion yuan (around 257.98 million U.S. dollars) at the box office. This series has truly succeeded in creatively transforming and innovatively developing China's outstanding traditional culture for the big screen, while also resonating emotionally with today's young audiences through its storytelling and character adaptations," said Hu.

Beyond sequels and adaptations rooted in traditional culture, original animated films are also carving out their space with unique concepts and distinctive styles, showcasing further creative possibilities.

Titles such as Arco, a 2025 animated science-fantasy film, and Pixar's Hoppers exemplify this trend of innovation.

"I believe animated films will remain a major force in the global box office in 2026. The worldwide top-grossing film of 2024 was Inside Out 2, and in 2025 it was China's Ne Zha 2. So I'm confident that animated films will once again rank among the highest-grossing releases globally this year," Hu said.

Animated films set to dominate 2026 global box office with strong lineup