Reports of Ban on Hollywood Films in China

BEIJING, December 12: Chinese authorities have reportedly
ceased granting permission for Hollywood films to be shown in theaters on the
mainland.

No ban has actually been announced, but there have been
numerous reports of Hollywood features not being cleared for theatrical release
in the market. “There are strong indications that there is at least a stoppage
of American films, that the approval process has been closed,” Dan Glickman,
the chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), told the New
York Times. “I don’t
have any confirmation that they have taken action. But if they have in fact
established an official or unofficial block on our films that would be a strong
step backwards.”

The ban is said to be in retaliation to the U.S. government’s
filing of an official complaint with the World Trade Organization against China
for the rampant piracy in the country. It may also be a protectionist measure
for the local film industry.

—By Mansha Daswani