The AP is reporting that Disney CEO Bob Iger met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, ahead of the opening of Shanghai Disneyland.
Reportedly Presient Xi told Iger that it was important for the world’s “strongest” country, referring to the U.S., and the world’s largest developing country to deepen their cooperation and expand it into new areas.
Cooperation between “U.S. firms with Chinese firms, and in particular the Walt Disney Company with Chinese firms, are exactly cases in point of such new cooperation,” Xi said. “And I believe the new cooperation will continue to yield new outcomes.”
Iger said, “What The Walt Disney Company has been able to achieve in China, I think, is a perfect example of cooperation, but it also came after years of understanding, years of building up a deep respect for one another and appreciation for each other’s interests.”
This news comes as American media companies struggle with the regulation of Chinese consumption. Recently Alibaba had to suspend their DisneyLife service as there has been increased regulation on digital media. In February, a new requirement stated that foreign companies and foreign-Chinese joint ventures must obtain approval before publishing content online.
Alibaba said in a statement: “The service is undergoing an upgrade. We do not have an estimate on when the service will resume.”
The AP also pointed out that a Chinese-made animal movie is being seen as a ripoff of Disney’s Zootopia. The Chinese film translates as “Crazy Toy City,” compared to Zootopia’s Chinese name “Crazy Animal City,” and social media users have charged that posters for both movies look strikingly similar.