Two influential Chinese bloggers have shared similar lists of possible measures that Chinese authorities are considering in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. One of these measures involves partially or completely banning the screening of Hollywood films in China, Bloomberg reports.
The potential Chinese action was written about by Liu Hong, editor-in-chief of Xinhuanet, the website of the official Xinhua News Agency. His post on the WeChat platform came shortly after China vowed to "fight to the end" in response to Trump's latest tariff threats.
In addition to banning American films from showing in China, Hong also listed five other items that officials were potentially discussing:
- Suspension of Sino-US cooperation on fentanyl-related issues;
- a "significant" increase in tariffs on American agricultural products;
- ban on the import of American poultry;
- imposing restrictions on US services with China;
- investigating the intellectual property advantages of American companies operating in China.
There is currently no confirmation that Chinese officials are indeed preparing such measures, but as reported by the Global Times, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that the country will continue to take tough measures to protect its rights.
"We generally do not comment on online remarks. We have made it quite clearly on China’s stance. China will continue to take firm and strong measures to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests," Jian said in a statement.