China became the largest export market for European films in terms of admissions in 2017, the European Audiovisual Observatory said in a recent report.

In 2018, the number of cinema screens across the country hit 60,000, 3.6 times the 2012 figure, making the country the world’s first in regards to the sheer quantity of film screens, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Thanks to the increasing number of cinemas and larger audiences, European films are gaining popularity in China.

French science-fiction feature film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets became the most successful European film in China, taking 11.3 million admissions alone, the report revealed.

Capernaum, co-produced by Lebanon, France and the US was also a hit in China with overall box office takings of $40 million.

Co-productions seem to be more well-received by audiences on both sides. Furthermore, the Chinese film industry can learn about mature marketing and sales mechanisms as well as film festivals from the European side, and embrace more opportunities to introduce Chinese films to the world, said analysts.

China has signed co-production agreements with over 10 European countries, including the UK, France and Spain.

Bikes, the first film co-produced by China and Spain, will debut soon, while another animated movie Dragonkeeper is in the progress of shooting in China and has an expected release date of 2021.