Monitored relations: The U.S. film industry, Chinese film policy and soft power

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

2017

Department/School

Communication, Media and Theatre Arts

Publication Title

Reconceptualising Film Policies

Abstract

The Chinese film market is one of the few large enough to compete with that of the United States. This chapter outlines the political frameworks that shape the interactions between the Chinese film industry and Hollywood, with a focus on the policies set forth by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). These policies limit the amount of influence foreign media companies can have within China and monitor Chinese companies' international activities. They are best understood as an expression of China's preference for 'soft power': the use of economic and cultural investment rather than military force to increase a nation's global influence. Miao Xiaotian, the president of the Chinese Film Coproduction Corporation (CFCC), has stressed that his agency monitored potential US-Chinese co-productions to ensure that they met the CCP's expectations about pro-Chinese content. These co-productions also have to clear regulatory hurdles, most notably in terms of censorship.

Comments

D. Overpeck is a faculty member in EMU's School of Communication, Media, and Theatre Arts.

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