In conjunction with President Donald Trump's visit to China, state-run media aired the animated film series "Kung Fu Panda" to promote a cooperative atmosphere in US-China relations.
According to China's state broadcaster CCTV, the CCTV movie channel (CCTV6) aired "Kung Fu Panda" and "Kung Fu Panda 3" back-to-back on the afternoon of the 14th, from 2:42 PM to 6 PM, coinciding with the US-China summit.
Notably, "Kung Fu Panda 3," released in 2016, was produced during a time of active US-China film collaboration and is the only co-produced film in the series. It involved contributions from the China Film Group, the US-China joint venture Oriental DreamWorks, and DreamWorks Animation. Approximately one-third of the production took place in China, and it was regarded as a symbolic project of US-China cultural cooperation at the time.
The film begins with Po, now a dragon warrior, reuniting with his long-lost father, Li. Together, they journey to a secret panda village, where they face unexpected challenges against the villain Kai.
Chinese cultural elements are seamlessly integrated throughout the film. The panda village is inspired by Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan Province, known as the birthplace of Taoism and a habitat for pandas.
Chinese cuisine, including dumplings, steamed buns, and noodles, frequently appears in the film. The production team noted in local interviews that they replaced a scene featuring cookies, originally suggested by the American team, with traditional Chinese foods. Released during the Lunar New Year season, the film also features scenes reminiscent of Chinese festivals, such as red lanterns and fireworks.
At the time, the state-run Global Times reported that the Chinese production team played a role akin to a "cultural committee," ensuring cultural accuracy through research on Chinese culture, traditional clothing, and panda conservation areas.
The film also garnered attention for its voice cast, which included prominent Chinese actors such as Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, Huang Lei, Yang Mi, Wang Zhiwen, and Zhang Guoli.
The box office performance was impressive, with "Kung Fu Panda 3" earning approximately 380 million yuan within three days of its release in China.
CCTV6 is known for reflecting international affairs and diplomatic atmospheres through its film programming. Chinese internet users often refer to it as "Liugongzhu" (Six Princess). CCTV stated on its official Weibo account, "We respond to the times through the art form of film."
In fact, during the heightened US-China trade tensions in 2019, the channel aired films related to the Korean War, such as "The Battle at Lake Changjin" and "Heroes of the East," showcasing a strong stance. Conversely, shortly after a phone call between the US and Chinese leaders in June of the same year, it abruptly canceled its scheduled programming to air "The Yellow River's Love Story," which depicts cooperation between Chinese and American soldiers against the Japanese, suggesting a potential shift in relations.
Additionally, just after China and the US announced significant progress during high-level talks in Geneva last May, CCTV6 scheduled the American film "New York, I Love You," only to cancel it amid controversy.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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