Netflix has Long Sought to Enter the Chinese Market, But Ultimately, Not a Single Film has Passed the Review Process

The documentary State Organs, which won Best Director and Best Music at the 2023 Canadian Film Leo Awards, will be released in theatres across the United States starting January 26. (Courtesy of Canada Ruyi Films)

[People News] According to a report from the People's Daily, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos disclosed that the company has been attempting to break into the Chinese market for several years, yet none of its films have cleared the stringent review system imposed by the Chinese Communist Party.

As reported by Radio Free Asia, during the Semafor World Economic Summit held on Wednesday (24th), Sarandos was asked why Netflix has struggled to operate in this second-largest economy in the world. He replied, "Fifteen years ago, nearly everyone believed that entering the Chinese market was a matter of life and death," Sarandos stated. "I also spent several years trying to advance this initiative."

He recounted, "At that time, we engaged a company to assist us in preparing content for the Chinese market... but part of the agreement stipulated that all content had to be approved by the review agency of the Chinese Communist government before it could be aired." However, he noted, "Three years have passed, and not a single episode of Netflix's programming has passed the review— not one. The Chinese Communist government simply does not want us to enter."

Salandos went on to say, "I see other companies dedicating significant time over the next decade to trying to penetrate the Chinese market, but ultimately, their outcomes are the same as mine—nothing. We are among the few American companies with no presence in the Chinese market at all, without having to deal with the scrutiny, taxes, and tariffs imposed by the Chinese Communist Party, nothing whatsoever. In contrast, the rest of the world is eager to embrace Netflix, which is sufficient to sustain a large-scale business operation."