China has filed a last-minute appeal against a World Trade Organisation ruling that it unfairly restricts the sale of US films, music and books, reviving an argument that its restrictions were needed to protect public morals and Chinese culture.
Beijing has often argued that it is protecting its citizens – and particularly its children – from pornography and other vices to justify its tight control over the media, the internet, and the distribution in China of western entertainment products.
A World Trade Organisation panel last month largely upheld Washington's complaint that Beijing was breaking WTO rules and its 2001 WTO entry terms by requiring all imported entertainment products to be channelled through state-run distributors.