How A Disney Studio Animation Film “Zootopia 2” Is Boosting China-US Trade Agenda?

Something incredible is happening in Beijing as also in other cities of China in the last five days. The cinema halls showing the American animation film “Zootopia 2” produced by the famous Disney studio are full and the Chinese cine lovers who have not yet seen the film are going mad online to get the tickets for the next shows. Even the Chinese official media Global Times sees this Chinese response to a good US film claiming that China’s massive entertainment market can determine the fate of any foreign film.

The wide reception to this animation film has led to a new type of discussion among the young Chinese film goers that more and more US films should be opened in the Chinese cinema halls and that will help the US to bring down the trade deficit through more income in the services sector. The huge box office success of this American film is being seen in the context of the protracted trade battle between USA and China and how, more cooperation in entertainment area, especially in films can help in bringing down the trade deficit on a long term basis.

The American animated film Zootopia 2 in China has drawn widespread attention from US media. Disney reported that Zootopia 2 set a new record for the highest animated opening of all time for a non-local title in China and broke the overall box office record for non-local animated films of all time within just five days of its release. Many US media outlets have noted that of the film’s $1 billion in global box office revenue to date, nearly half has come from the Chinese market. Some film distributors remarked with amazement: “China is not only a boost to the box office, it can even determine whether a blockbuster is profitable or loss-making.”

According to the Chinese official media, the success of Zootopia 2 presents a timely opportunity to take stock of the broader “big picture” of China-US economic and trade ties. Walt Disney, the production company behind Zootopia 2, is the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerate. Its theme parks contribute more than $60 billion annually to the US economy and support over 400,000 jobs.

Chinese officials say that box office receipts in the Chinese mainland from Zootopia 2 far exceeded those in the North American market, “reversing the old pattern in which Hollywood blockbusters have treated North America as the absolute core,” and underscoring that tapping into the vast potential of the Chinese market is crucial to their future global strategies. Nowadays, more than 70 co-branded partnerships are tied to Zootopia 2 in the Chinese mainland, online and offline interactive experiences together have built a complete film IP industry chain. The success of Zootopia 2 is bound to generate significant spillover effects and benefits for the cultural markets and related industries of both China and the US.

The way Chinese official media is showing frenzy over the success of Zootopia 2 has surprised the seasoned observers of Chinese political behaviour. Chinese governments have always been careful about allowing the US films of all hues to enter the Chinese market. There are still restrictions, but now, even the government people are talking about big expansion of the China-US relations in the entertainment sector and projecting it as an important step to balance the trade between the two countries. Chinese officials say now that the cross border circulation of films is, in essence a form of trade in services centred on creativity and quality. With a population of more than 1.4 billion. China’s vast market has a capacity to absorb high quality content from the USA since the Chinese public are more sophisticated now in their tastes and they look for more diverse offerings.

Interestingly, the Global Times editorial of December 17 makes a case for more American films entry into the vast Chinese market. The GT editorial says with over 90,000 screens nationwide, China’s film market offers enormous box office potential. Audiences are willing to support products that demonstrate strong quality, compelling storytelling, high production standards, and respect for local national cultures, providing a solid demand base for high-calibre international content to enter China. Building “small yard, high fences,” resorting to tariff coercion, and pursuing protectionist practices will only sap one’s own innovative drive and erode the competitiveness needed for long-term development.

As the official Chinese media sees it, the success of Zootopia 2 in China is one piece of the true picture of China-US economic and trade relations. US public discourse often trains the spotlight on China’s surplus in trade in goods with the US, while rarely mentioning the basic fact that the US is the largest source of China’s deficit in service trade, and that the overall gains from bilateral economic and trade exchanges are broadly balanced. China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial; there is no logic by which one side’s gain must mean the other’s “loss.” Zootopia 2 offers a vivid illustration of this reality. Through the laughter and shared emotional resonance brought by a single film, both sides can accumulate understanding and trust – and catch a glimpse of a more long-term future, the GT editorial says.

Chinese foreign trade officials mention that opening the Chinese market cannot be achieved through pressure or restrictions; it requires mutually beneficial cooperation. The most effective way to address structural imbalances is not to treat markets as battlegrounds, but to expand institutional openness and enhance the capacity to supply products and services. This would allow more high-quality US products and services to enter China’s ultra-large market, which features strong demand and diverse consumer needs.

This fresh approach being publicized in the recent days fits well with the latest trends in the discussions between the US and Chinese officials for the conclusion of a trade deal during the April 2026 visit of President Trump to China. Both the leaders will find out ways to balance the trade as the US President has always been resentful of the trade surplus enjoyed by China.

The United States and China are the two largest economies in the world; the status of their trade relationship has compounding implications for both countries and the global economy. Combined, their economies comprised 43 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP) and nearly 48 percent of global manufacturing output in 2023, according to the World Bank.

China is also the third-largest export market for the United States, behind Canada and Mexico, with U.S. exports exceeding $195 billion in 2024. That year’s $295 billion U.S. trade deficit with China is the lowest since 2009, but it’s still the United States’ largest trade deficit with any country. As for imports, Chinese goods make up around 13.5 percent of the market, trailing just behind Mexico. Many of these imported goods are technologies such as computers, electric batteries, and video displays. China also has a substantial holding in U.S. treasury bonds—roughly $760 billion—making it the second-largest foreign creditor to the United States, after Japan.

The latest Chinese liberal attitude towards the entry of content driven US films to China has opened up a big possibility of intensive cooperation between the two largest economies of the world in a sector which is burgeoning at an astonishing rate. Certainly, the US is the leader of that sector. If China –US collaboration takes concrete shape during the coming visit of Donald Trump to China in April 2026, that will be a game changer in the evolving relationship between US and China. (IPA Service)