China still restricting foreign media, US complains

China has missed the deadline to comply with a World Trade Organization ruling to loosen state controls on the distribution of foreign media such as films, books, magazines and newspapers, the US trade representative said.

The "U.S. government is disappointed that China has not yet fully complied with the WTO ruling in this case, a lack of compliance which China has acknowledged," said Nkenge Harmon, a spokeswoman for the federal agency. "The U.S. government has communicated its concerns to China, and is working to ensure that China promptly brings its measures into full compliance." The ruling was aimed at China's practice of restricting foreign media from entering the country without a state distributor. In the case of motion pictures, the only existing importers of foreign films are China Film Group and Huaxia Film Distribution Co., both government-controlled. Under those tight guidelines, the number of foreign films given theatrical release in China under revenue-sharing arrangements each year is limited to 20. Groups such as the Motion Picture Association of America say the quota fuels massive demand for piracy