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| Pacific Rim 'designed to advance US cultural domination of China' | Pacific Rim 'designed to advance US cultural domination of China' |
| (3 months later) | |
| Guillermo del Toro sci-fi romp Pacific Rim is a conduit for US cultural domination of China, according to a member of the People's Liberation Army writing in a state-backed daily newspaper that is seen as a mouthpiece for the country's military. | Guillermo del Toro sci-fi romp Pacific Rim is a conduit for US cultural domination of China, according to a member of the People's Liberation Army writing in a state-backed daily newspaper that is seen as a mouthpiece for the country's military. |
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| Del Toro's film has emerged as an unusual box office beast, with lukewarm returns in the US but a strong Chinese showing that has seen the film gross more than $100m in the world's most populous nation. With a total of $397m across the globe, it is now likely to get a sequel based largely on its success outside the US. | Del Toro's film has emerged as an unusual box office beast, with lukewarm returns in the US but a strong Chinese showing that has seen the film gross more than $100m in the world's most populous nation. With a total of $397m across the globe, it is now likely to get a sequel based largely on its success outside the US. |
| But rather than embracing the movie as an example of China's increasing box office clout, the People's Liberation Army Daily this week published a polemic arguing that Pacific Rim was just another Hollywood movie designed "as a propaganda machine to convey American values and their strategies in the world". Bylined with the name of a PLA officer, Zhang Jieli, the comment piece referenced elements of Del Toro's pleasingly barmy plot, which sees pairs of humans teaming up in giant bipedal attack units to fight off invasion by enormous alien monsters, to posit an elaborate conspiracy theory. | But rather than embracing the movie as an example of China's increasing box office clout, the People's Liberation Army Daily this week published a polemic arguing that Pacific Rim was just another Hollywood movie designed "as a propaganda machine to convey American values and their strategies in the world". Bylined with the name of a PLA officer, Zhang Jieli, the comment piece referenced elements of Del Toro's pleasingly barmy plot, which sees pairs of humans teaming up in giant bipedal attack units to fight off invasion by enormous alien monsters, to posit an elaborate conspiracy theory. |
| "The decisive battle against the monsters was deliberately set in the South China Sea adjacent to Hong Kong," Zhang wrote. "The intention was to demonstrate the US commitment to maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific area and saving mankind." | "The decisive battle against the monsters was deliberately set in the South China Sea adjacent to Hong Kong," Zhang wrote. "The intention was to demonstrate the US commitment to maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific area and saving mankind." |
| The Chinese military is currently concerned over US plans to transfer 60% of American naval assets to the Pacific by the end of the decade. Zhang added: "Soldiers should sharpen their eyes and enforce a 'firewall' to avoid ideological erosion when watching American movies. More importantly, they should strengthen their combat capability to safeguard national security and interests." | The Chinese military is currently concerned over US plans to transfer 60% of American naval assets to the Pacific by the end of the decade. Zhang added: "Soldiers should sharpen their eyes and enforce a 'firewall' to avoid ideological erosion when watching American movies. More importantly, they should strengthen their combat capability to safeguard national security and interests." |
| China's film market – already the second biggest in the world – is currently expected to surpass that of the US by 2020. The nation is due to build 25,000 cinema screens over the next five years to cope with demand from an increasingly wealthy population. Hollywood movies are incredibly popular, but foreign releases remain limited to 34 a year – up from 20 as recently as last year. | China's film market – already the second biggest in the world – is currently expected to surpass that of the US by 2020. The nation is due to build 25,000 cinema screens over the next five years to cope with demand from an increasingly wealthy population. Hollywood movies are incredibly popular, but foreign releases remain limited to 34 a year – up from 20 as recently as last year. |
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