China to draft first law to boost film industry

Beijing, March 9: China is set to draft its first law to boost the country's film industry, a growing sector in the world's second largest movie market, National People's Congress (NPC) chairman Zhang Dejiang announced on Wednesday.

Zhang reviewed the work carried out last year and announced targets for 2016 in his speech during the ongoing annual session of the Congress in Beijing, EFE news reported.

He said a law would be drafted with the aim of deepening reforms in the cultural sector and promote the film industry, but did not provide details.

Experts are of the opinion China may overtake the US as the world's largest movie market by the end of the decade, whereas the most optimist ones believe it could happen this year itself, aided by the new law.

In 2015, the Chinese film industry collected a record $6.8 billion in ticket sales, an inter-annual rise of 48.7 percent.

Last year in February, it recorded higher collections than the US, and during the same period this year, it overtook the North American market.

IANS