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Film Trade Policy After Chinaʼs Entry Into the World Trade Organisation

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Listed:
  • Lei Sun
  • Simon J. McKirdy

Abstract

This study provides an in‐depth analysis of Chinaʼs film trade policies following its accession to the World Trade Organisation in 2001. It examines the factors behind the limited international success of Chinese films. Through a corpus‐based critical discourse analysis of nine national policy documents (2001–2020), the research investigates how the Chinese government has aimed to develop its domestic film industry while maintaining strict control over cultural trade. It finds a strategic shift toward a state‐regulated socialist cultural market, employing mechanisms such as censorship, licensing, import quotas, and state monopolisation to mitigate the influence of global trade liberalisation. The study also highlights the governmentʼs use of film festivals and exhibitions as tools for political propaganda, aligning them with foreign policy objectives and promoting official ideology. These practices underscore the tension between Chinaʼs aspirations for cultural soft power and its reliance on state control, which may hinder the global appeal of Chinese films.

Suggested Citation

  • Lei Sun & Simon J. McKirdy, 2026. "Film Trade Policy After Chinaʼs Entry Into the World Trade Organisation," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(1), January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:asiaps:v:13:y:2026:i:1:n:e70065
    DOI: 10.1002/app5.70065
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nye, Joseph S., 2008. "Public Diplomacy and Soft Power," Scholarly Articles 11738397, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    2. Yihong Tang & Jing Yan & Feng Yu, 2023. "The welfare effects of service trade liberalization: evidence from the Chinese movie industry," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(4), pages 1520-1539, October.
    3. Joseph S. Nye Jr., 2008. "Public Diplomacy and Soft Power," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 616(1), pages 94-109, March.
    4. Seow Ting Lee, 2022. "Film as cultural diplomacy: South Korea’s nation branding through Parasite (2019)," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(2), pages 93-104, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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