China's Spring Festival box office hits 400-mln-yuan mark

China's box office revenue for new films scheduled for the 2026 Spring Festival period, including presales, had surpassed 400 million yuan (about 55.54 million U.S. dollars) as of Sunday, according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan.

The Spring Festival holiday, running for nine days from Feb. 15 this year, is one of the key movie seasons in the world's second-largest film market.

Leading the early buzz ahead of its Spring Festival opening is "Pegasus 3," the third installment in director Han Han's racing-comedy franchise starring Shen Teng, one of China's most bankable comedic actors. On the Maoyan online ticketing platform, "Pegasus 3" currently ranks first in "want-to-see" interest selections by Spring Festival moviegoers.

"Scare Out," a contemporary espionage thriller directed by Zhang Yimou, has also drawn strong early attention. Developed with the guidance from the Ministry of State Security, the film centers on a leak of classified military aviation data and follows a counterintelligence team as it navigates shifting loyalty and hidden betrayals.

Another high-profile entry, "Blades of the Guardians," adapted from a cult-favorite comic, is directed by legendary action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping and features a multigenerational lineup of martial arts stars. It is a rare, large-scale "wuxia" (martial chivalry) production at a time when the genre, which features legends of ancient Chinese warriors, has become less common in Chinese cinema.

Industry observers attribute the strong performance to a combination of policy support and innovative consumption models introduced this year.

Earlier this month, the National Film Administration, together with other government departments, launched the "2026 Film Economy Promotion Year," pledging to distribute no less than 1.2 billion yuan in movie-going subsidies throughout the year to stimulate cultural consumption.

Financial institutions have also joined the effort. China UnionPay, in collaboration with commercial banks and cinema chains, rolled out stacked discount coupons and promotional payment offers, making movie tickets more affordable and transactions more convenient for audiences.

This year's Spring Festival season has also seen expanded "film plus" consumption pilots in 16 cities nationwide, integrating cinema with tourism, dining and retail.

In Qingdao City of east China's Shandong Province, more than 700 businesses including hotels, restaurants and museums, have joined an upgraded "ticket stub economy" alliance, offering discounts to moviegoers.

Meanwhile, Changsha, the capital city of central China's Hunan Province, launched a "stroll the market with films" campaign, encouraging audiences to explore local food specialties such as stinky tofu, sugar oil rice cakes and cured duck after watching movies.

Film-related merchandise has also gained popularity, including co-branded products, intangible cultural heritage-inspired handicrafts and themed blind boxes.

China's film industry is increasingly evolving beyond a single screening experience. A movie ticket is no longer just the admission to a film, but a cultural link that connects emotions and stimulates broader consumption.

China's Spring Festival box office hits 400-mln-yuan mark

The Palestinian Presidency on Sunday said Israel's decision to reopen land registration in the West Bank constitutes a de facto annexation aimed at entrenching the occupation through illegal settlement expansion.

In a statement, the presidency said the move violates international law, poses a threat to security and stability, and marks a dangerous escalation. The decision contradicts UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2334, which deems all settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, illegal.

"Measures will not grant the Israeli occupation legitimacy over the land of the State of Palestine or alter the legal and historical status of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza," the statement said.

Palestinian leaders called on the international community to intervene to halt the move and enforce international law.

Meanwhile, Hamas described the decision as "null and void" and an attempt to impose a "Judaizing settlement reality by force." The group vowed to resist all efforts to impose annexation, displacement, or settlement projects and urged international parties to protect Palestinians' rights to land, self-determination, and statehood with Jerusalem as the capital.

Israel on Sunday approved a plan to register West Bank land as "state property," a move that could strengthen Israeli claims and facilitate settlement expansion. The plan, submitted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defense Minister Israel Katz, was approved by the cabinet, according to a joint statement.

For the first time since the 1967 Middle East war, which brought the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza under Israeli control, the cabinet authorized a land registration process in the West Bank. The Land Registry and Settlement of Rights, a government authority under the Justice Ministry, will carry out the process with dedicated staff and budget.

The ministers said the move would allow a "transparent and thorough clarification" of property rights. Much of the West Bank has never undergone systematic registration, with ownership claims relying on Ottoman, British Mandate, or Jordanian records.

The decision is the latest in a series of measures by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government aimed at expanding settlements. Palestinian officials have warned that formalizing Israeli state claims over land in Area C could further undermine prospects for a negotiated two-state solution.

The West Bank is seen by most of the international community as occupied territory. Palestinians seek it as the core of a future independent state.

Israel retains control of over 60 percent of the West Bank, defined as Area C outside the Palestinian enclaves known as Areas A and B, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Palestine denounces Israel's West Bank land registration decision