A Republican is moving to stop U.S. capitulation in China’s censorship laws that famously regulate the communist nation’s internet and, notably, American-made movies exported there.
House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., an ally of Donald Trump, told DailyMail.com he is reintroducing a bill meant to stop U.S. movies from being edited to China’s liking.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) enforces strict censorship laws to ensure that the content shown to its over 1.4 billion citizens adheres to socialist ideological standards.
Edits often scrub damaging depictions of China or remove controversial characters or scenes. The practice is common in China, and it has been around for decades.
However, as the nation’s movie-watching population boomed in recent years, American studios have sacrificed their artistic direction to access the massive market.
Green argues this hurts U.S. cultural influence, and as the 97th Academy Awards are approaching this weekend, he told DailyMail.com exclusively about his plan to stop American companies from bending to Chinese demands.
‘It’s time to flip the script on CCP censorship in Hollywood,’ Green said in a statement. ‘The Chinese market is so tempting that big studios will do anything to screen movies there, even giving the CCP power over the final cut.’
His Stopping Communist Regimes from Engaging in Edits Now (SCREEN) Act would restrict U.S. State Department money from supporting U.S. films that are influenced by the Chinese government and CCP.
It seeks to prevent U.S. companies from having to be complicit with CCP propaganda demands.
‘American films are one of our most treasured cultural exports,’ Green shared. ‘I’m proud to reintroduce this important legislation that protects American filmmakers, and more importantly, American taxpayers.’
His remarks come just days after President Trump noted that he has a good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
‘I have a great relationship with President Xi,’ Trump said at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. ‘We want them to invest in the United States … and we’ll invest in China.’
Green, meanwhile, used a sharper tone while mentioning the communist leader.
‘Not a single tax dollar should go towards films manipulated by Xi Jinping and his party loyalists,’ he told DailyMail.com.
‘Seeing real American military equipment in our movies should give Americans confidence that the CCP wasn’t behind the camera.’
Green continued, saying his measure will ‘ensure that studios cannot benefit from taxpayer funds and Beijing’s rubber stamp.’
The measure would require U.S. companies that receive assistance from the State Department to tell Congress what films they have meaningfully edited for the CCP.
If they have heavily edited movies on behalf of China in recent years these U.S. companies would be banned from receiving State Department money.
It would also force these film companies that sign contracts with the State Department to vow against censoring their films for the Chinese government.
Green declined to weigh in when asked for comment on who will win this year’s Best Picture award.