China's box office in 2026 hits 2-bln-yuan mark ahead of Spring Festival

China's box office in 2026 hit the mark of 2 billion yuan (about 287.7 million U.S. dollars) as of 15:26 Sunday, according to online box office data trackers.

With the 2026 Spring Festival approaching, the film market continues to heat up. To date, six domestic films have announced their release dates during the festival: Pegasus 3, Scare Out, Blades of the Guardians, Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector, Per Aspera Ad Astra, and Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe. These films cover a variety of genres including martial arts, action, suspense, fantasy, comedy, and animation, catering to diverse audience preferences.

According to past experiences, the period between the New Year holiday and the Spring Festival holiday is typically a low season for box office revenue. However, in the first 10 days of January 2026, the country's cinema box office increased by more than 10 percent compared with the same period of 2025, which indicates that the off-season is not as lackluster, showcasing the robust momentum and significant growth potential of the Chinese film market.

A diverse lineup of domestic and imported films spanning comedy, action, suspense and romance has helped sustain strong audience turnout early in the year.

China's box office in 2026 hits 2-bln-yuan mark ahead of Spring Festival

The Chinese mainland on Wednesday defended its coast guard patrols in waters east of the Taiwan Island as a lawful and justified action to safeguard national sovereignty, while lashing out at Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for what it called "malicious hype" over the patrols.

Chen Binhua, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, told a press briefing in Beijing: "The China Coast Guard conducts law enforcement and rights protection operations in its jurisdictional waters in accordance with the law, effectively safeguarding normal navigation and operational order and earnestly protecting the legitimate rights and interests as well as the safety of life and property of the Chinese people, including compatriots in Taiwan. They constitute a legitimate and just measure to defend the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. The DPP authorities stubbornly adhere to the Taiwan separatist stance, distorting the facts and maliciously engaging in malicious hype, which is doomed to fail."

China Coast Guard patrols east of Taiwan island are justified, righteous: spokesman