Trump’s new Chinese tariffs may finally free Hollywood from Communist censorship puppeteers, but will Tinseltown see the silver lining or just cry about lost profits?
At a Glance
- President Trump’s recent tariff hike to 125% on Chinese goods has prompted China to “moderately reduce” American film imports
- Hollywood has become dangerously dependent on Chinese box office revenue, earning about 10% of its gross revenue from China
- Chinese Communist Party censorship has increasingly dictated Hollywood content, with films being altered to appease Chinese sensibilities
- American films’ revenue in China has already plummeted from $3 billion annually (2017-2019) to just $1.2 billion last year
- The trade war could inadvertently free Hollywood from creative constraints imposed by catering to China’s censorship demands
Hollywood’s Communist Puppet Problem
While the liberal elites in Hollywood clutch their pearls over President Trump’s trade war with China, they might want to take a moment to consider what they’ve sacrificed at the altar of Chinese box office dollars. For years, major studios have bent over backwards to appease the Chinese Communist Party’s censors, removing content deemed offensive to the regime, and even allowing Chinese propaganda to be inserted into American films. All for what? A slice of box office revenue that has already been shrinking dramatically even before the latest trade tensions.
China’s Film Administration recently announced it would “moderately reduce” the number of U.S. films imported in response to President Trump’s increased tariffs on Chinese goods. When asked about China potentially blocking Hollywood films, our straight-shooting President responded with his characteristic candor: “I think I’ve heard of worse things.” Finally, a president who understands there are bigger issues at stake than Hollywood’s profit margins! The film industry has already seen Chinese revenue drop from $3 billion annually between 2017-2019 to a mere $1.2 billion last year.
Communist Censorship Has Altered American Storytelling
Let’s be honest about what’s really happening here. For too long, Hollywood has compromised its artistic integrity and American values to please Chinese censors. The Communist Party’s propaganda department has been regulating film content since 2018, and the results have been predictably disastrous for creative freedom. Marvel movies were completely shut out of China between 2020 and 2022. “Top Gun: Maverick” – a celebration of American military excellence – wasn’t allowed to screen in 2022. Why? Because it dared to show a Taiwanese flag patch on Maverick’s jacket in an early trailer.
“The wrong action of the U.S. government’s indiscriminate tariffs on China is bound to further reduce the favourable impression of domestic audiences on American films” – China’s Film Administration.
Oh, pardon me while I dry my tears over Chinese audiences potentially having a less “favorable impression” of American films! Perhaps if Hollywood stopped neutering its content to please Communist censors, it might remember how to make movies that actually resonate with American audiences instead. The statement from China’s Film Administration reads like a threat, and Hollywood has been kowtowing to these threats for far too long.
The Silver Lining of Trump’s Trade War
Here’s where things get interesting, and where the true conservatives among us should be celebrating. This trade war might be the cold shower Hollywood desperately needs. Without the corrupting influence of Chinese censorship, studios might finally be forced to focus on making films that appeal to American audiences with American values. For years, we’ve watched as Hollywood has watered down content, avoided certain “sensitive” topics like Tibet or Taiwan, and even altered movie plots to ensure Chinese market access.
“All Hollywood films are easily available for streaming in high quality copies with excellent Chinese subtitles on pirated Chinese websites” – Stanley Rosen.
This quote highlights the absurdity of the entire situation. While studios have been censoring themselves to gain official access to Chinese theaters, Chinese audiences have been watching uncensored, pirated versions of American films anyway! So all this self-censorship has been for naught. Studios have been willingly muzzling their creative expression and American values for a market that was stealing their content regardless. If that doesn’t perfectly encapsulate the one-sided relationship we’ve had with China across all industries, I don’t know what does.
America First, Even in Entertainment
Yes, Hollywood will have to tighten its belt as Chinese revenue dries up. Monique White points out that “budgets are gonna have to go down because they’re not gonna see that money coming out of China.” But is that really such a terrible thing? Perhaps lower budgets will force filmmakers to rely more on good storytelling and less on expensive CGI spectacles. Perhaps it will force Hollywood to reconnect with the American heartland it has so often ignored or, worse, openly mocked in its productions.
President Trump’s tough stance on China isn’t just about manufacturing or intellectual property theft—it’s about asserting American cultural sovereignty as well. For too long, we’ve allowed foreign influence to dictate what stories Americans can tell. If Hollywood has to learn to make movies without kowtowing to Communist censors, that’s not a bug of Trump’s trade policy—it’s a feature. Sometimes, the best medicine doesn’t taste good going down, but the patient emerges healthier in the end.
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