[Mark Talmadge]

Apparently, China has effectively banned all U.S. movies from being shown in China over a complaint that the U.S. filed with the World Trade Organization over piracy concerns in China.

China butts heads with Hollywood in wake of piracy complaint

[Kirk Tsai]

Several things:

1. As the article pointed out (a similar story ran in the NY Times a while ago), China has denied banning American films. Both this article and the NYT speculated that it could be to retaliate for legal action relating to the WTO. The speculation sounds reasonable, but it's in US interests to say China is retaliating with a ban. It's in Hollywood's interest to say it's a ban, and it's in China's interest to say it's not.

2. IIRC, China only allows 20 American films to be shown in the country per year. In that sense, even if China permits no films early in the year, they could easily make up the quota later in 2008.

3. While China has not granted permission for any Hollywood picture to be shown early in the year, they have for The Mummy 3. That picture may have a bigger Chinese audience with Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh (but it's still a Universal picture), so it may be an exception, but it's also untrue to say no American film has been granted permission.