IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/asiaps/v13y2026i1ne70065.html

Film Trade Policy After Chinaʼs Entry Into the World Trade Organisation

Author

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
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.70065
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/app5.70065?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:asiaps:v:13:y:2026:i:1:n:e70065. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=2050-2680 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.