Trump’s Trade War With China Is Now Hurting Hollywood—and US Soft Power

Last weekend, A Minecraft Movie Developed $ 15 million in China Its inaugural weekend. Thank you President Donald TrumpThe new tariff in the country, that success story can end this kind for at least for a while.

Trump announced Thursday 145 percent of the tariff In Chinese products, as he gave up 90 days breaks in something Fat duty He used to impose other countries of the world. As part of the country’s response to the growing trade war, the China Film Administration has announced that it will reduce the number of US films approved in the country. In the “Customs torture in China” step, a spokesperson in the US government One statement said in a statement Thursday, “will inevitably reduce the favorableness of domestic viewers towards American films.”

This is bad news for Hollywood. Instead of influencing the markets that Trump is watching so closely, the decline in the number of US films playing on the Chinese screen will deeply affect American cinema in the country and finally the world’s second largest film market in the world.

Over the years, Hollywood blockbusters are a form of soft energy in China. In general, there is China Import of a handful of movies annually From Hollywood, however, since 2021, when the Covid -1 cool relationship between China and the United States was cooled, their influence was reduced. According to OMDIA cinema analyst David Hankk, American films made about $ 3 billion in China in China, but in the last year, the number decreased to $ 1.2 billion.

At that time, Chinese audiences have begun to embrace more natively made movies. Ne jha 2Animated fantasy movie Mechanic Unset, already brings $ 2 billion and attitudes to view American blockbuster are moving. “Our movies are now less popular in China, but I feel it [the new restrictions] Will make them less, “Hancock says.” Chinese audiences must have voted on their feet in the last few years [when it comes to] Hollywood movie. “

Nevertheless, there was 42 US movies Last year was released in China and they made about one-fifth of the country’s box office. Chinese authorities are trying to enhance the movie as a way to enhance the economy, but it seems that the audience’s preferences are more leaning towards domestic films. This is something that is as Professor Stanley Rosen of USC state science This week Los Angeles told the Times“Patriotic is becoming a problem [for China] As well as an economic problem. “

However, the Chinese audience has also left the Chinese government’s restrictions and Hollywood.

“All Hollywood films are readily available for streaming in high -quality copies with great Chinese subtitles on pirated Chinese websites,” Rosen told Warders, “so anyone who wants to watch these films can do this in their own home ease when not supporting American cultural products. “