{
  "id": 1839431,
  "title": "What does a hit film about the Iraq war say about Chinese views of the world?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/what-does-a-hit-film-about-the-iraq-war-say-about-chinese-views-of",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-19T01:00:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
    "slug": "reuters-business-via-scmp",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364464/what-does-hit-film-about-iraq-war-say-about-chinese-views-world"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, a new film portraying the Iraq war from China's perspective, reflects Beijing's evolving soft power strategy. This shift in narrative comes as China seeks to challenge Western dominance in defining concepts like \"terrorism\" and \"human rights.\" The film stars a Chinese chef, Xu Fu, who uses his restaurant to shelter orphans and provide refuge for American soldiers amidst the conflict. Despite facing numerous hardships, Xu Fu remains focused on protecting the children and emphasizes humanity over political ideologies. The film's success at the box office and its release in foreign markets signify a move away from Hollywood's portrayal of war narratives, emphasizing China's core belief in human security and humanitarian crises. Experts argue that the film signifies China's growing influence in shaping global narratives and its commitment to promoting its culture internationally, even as it maintains a non-interventionist stance on regional conflicts.",
  "summary": "A new film telling the story of the Iraq war through Chinese eyes marks the latest in a series of soft power initiatives designed to get Beijing’s message across to the wider world. Although Once Upon a Time in the Middle East does not explicitly state the name of the country in question, it is set in the 2000s and features an invasion by American troops. The film’s central character, a Chinese…",
  "key_points": [
    "\"Once Upon a Time in the Middle East\" portrays Iraq war from China's perspective.",
    "Chinese chef Xu Fu shelters orphans and provides refuge for American soldiers.",
    "Film's success indicates China's growing influence in shaping global narratives."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The film's success indicates China's growing influence in shaping global narratives, challenging Western dominance, and promoting its culture internationally, with a focus on human security and humanitarian crises.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "What does a hit film about the Iraq war say about Chinese views of the world?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/what-does-a-hit-film-about-the-iraq-war-say-about-chinese-views-of-1842140",
        "published": "2026-08-19T01:00:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}