Beware China’s role as Hollywood’s censor

Published September 18, 2018 4:00am ET



The Chinese film market is growing rapidly, with analysts expecting it to become the world’s largest by 2020. As a result of China’s economic rise and the decline of moviegoing in the U.S., Hollywood producers are increasingly catering to the Chinese. This raises serious concerns over the strong media influence the Communist Party could gain over global movie markets.

China’s Communist Party bans media content that depicts alcoholism, “glorification of evil,” ethnic conflict, religious themes, anything deemed pornographic or sexually abnormal (including the mere depiction of homosexuals), and anything that “harms public morality” from being shown in China. The wide range of restrictions has caught Hollywood’s attention as the Chinese film market grows.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.