The movie Pacific Rim was pretty cool. It had mechas fighting giant monsters, and some awesome effects. Like, whoa. But apparently we've missed the true purpose of Guillermo del Toro's movie. A Chinese officer explained in a Chinese military newspaper that it is a pro-U.S. propoganda.

Pacific Rim "exported the U.S.'s rebalancing of its Asia-Pacific strategy," according to Zhang Jieli's article in the People's Liberation Army Daily. The movie had become one of the most popular movies in Chinese history, grossing over $100 million in China alone. So the Chinese military is concerned that the movie represents a subtle critique of China's territorial ambitions in the South China Sea.

The Hollywood Reporter says:

"The decisive battle against the monsters was deliberately set in the South China Sea adjacent to Hong Kong," Zhang said. Beijing has territorial disputes with most of its neighbors in the South China Sea. "The intention was to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific area and saving mankind...

"Soldiers should sharpen their eyes and enforce a 'firewall' to avoid ideological erosion when watching American movies," Zhang warned.

Wow. While we enjoyed the movie, these guys were clearly thinking strategy and defense. Next thing you know, China becomes North Korea v2.0.