Premiere ceremony of the film Youth in Beijing on Dec. 6, 2017. (Photo/Chinanews.com)
Editor's Note: Chinese director Feng Xiaogang's latest film Youth, which partly reflects on the China-Vietnam war of 1979, has earned high ratings after being released earlier this month following a two-month delay. The delay sparked a debate on China-Vietnam ties nearly four decades after the border war. Two experts and a film critic share their views on the subject. Excerpts follow:
Makes no sense to raise the unfortunate past
The Sino-Vietnamese war is an unfortunate historical fact for both sides, and Feng's film plays it down. Feng also desists from using the term "enemy" in the film. The war was triggered by various historical and political factors both at home and abroad. And it doesn't make sense to raise that unfortunate past now that both sides want to improve their relations and boost regional economic growth. In fact, they have already achieved progress on these two fronts.
But the territorial dispute between China and Vietnam over some islands in the South China Sea in recent years has refreshed the memory of the 1979 war on both sides. Moreover, Vietnam should welcome the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and participate in the Trans-Asia Railway project, which connects Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan province to the Eurasian continent in the north and Southeast Asia in the south.
Striking the right balance between the betterment of humankind and the strategic methods of economic and political cooperation is the key to convincing Vietnam about participating in China-proposed projects and improving bilateral ties. More importantly, the dispute over the South China Sea islands has to be handled cautiously to improve China-Vietnam relations.
Zhu Feng, professor of international relations at and executive director of the China Center for Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing University
Cooperation, not hatred, must set bilateral agenda
This year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting that was held in Da Nang, Vietnam, in November to boost regional economic growth facilitated the exchange of visits between the leaders of China and Vietnam within one year. The first such exchange of visits since 2015 highlight the importance of China-Vietnam relations, which have seen steady growth despite the occasional hiccups.
The Belt and Road Initiative will not only help meet Vietnam's demand for industrial modernization, but also help improve the relationship between the neighbors. Vietnam that boasts a long coastline will especially benefit from the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which together with the Silk Road Economic Belt forms the Belt and Road Initiative.
China and Vietnam, both governed by communist parties, share a long history of friendly exchanges. Besides, China has been Vietnam's biggest trading partner for 13 years, and the huge investments by Chinese enterprises in Vietnam have boosted Vietnam's infrastructure projects and economic growth. So the two sides should let their cooperation set the course of their future relationship, instead of allowing the 1979 war to spread mutual hatred among their peoples.
Yu Sui, researcher at the China Center for Contemporary World Studies
Film will help viewers admire war heroes
Youth chronicles the destinies of some young members of an art troupe in the Chinese military and their patriotism against the backdrop from 1970s to early 2000s, including the China-Vietnam war. By focusing on the youths' humanity, life, love and freedom, and their struggle to make ends meet after leaving the military, Youth takes a course different from many other Chinese films.
Director Feng Xiaogang and writer Yan Geling both served in the military when they were young, and both say their experiences, as shown in the movie, will make viewers understand and admire the heroes of the 1979 war.
The movie, to some extent, depicts historical facts but the war was more brutal than what is shown in the film, through which the director and writer want to capture their times and convey to the audience the feelings and good times they went through as youths in those volatile years.
Yang Jinsong, a film critic
