Three years after a tariff-busting trade deal went into effect, the central government has eased restrictions on access to the mainland market for Hong Kong''s film and television industry, a senior official said yesterday.

Mainland quota restrictions on Hong Kong films have been largely lifted since the start of the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement between the two sides, Zhao Shi, deputy director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, told a news conference in Beijing.

Hong Kong films were previously classified as international and had to compete to win a place among the 20 overseas productions allowed on the Chinese mainland each year.

Films produced by Hong Kong companies can now be distributed on the mainland provided they have been imported by the China Film Group Corp and have completed the censorship process, Zhao said.

Hong Kong companies were previously restricted to building just one cinema on the mainland but are now allowed to open multiplexes either on their own or with joint-venture partners.

About 14 cinemas on the mainland are operated or partly owned by Hong Kong companies, and all are doing well, Zhao said.

Films co-produced by Hong Kong and mainland companies can now draw up to two-thirds of their talent from Hong Kong, much more than in the past, the official said.

Twenty-nine films were co-produced by Hong Kong and mainland companies last year, triple the number of co-productions before CEPA went into force in 2003.

Television co-productions also enjoy easier access to the mainland market, according to Zhao. They can be screened directly on the mainland, and restrictions on length - limited to 40 episodes previously - have been lifted.

Zhao also said Hong Kong cable TV network operators are now allowed to provide technological support to Guangdong Province to develop networks.

Cartoon ban

At the same news conference, Zhao said China''s recent prime-time ban on foreign cartoons came in response to requests from viewers.

"The ban meets the demands of children and parents who want to watch domestic cartoon programs in prime time," she said.

In contrast to Zhao''s remarks, a survey conducted earlier shows that about 80 percent of Chinese children said they liked foreign cartoons.

Zhao also noted that China has not limited the import of foreign cartoons and that many television stations across the country are still broadcasting foreign cartoons outside prime time.

SARFT banned foreign cartoons from prime-time television on September 1 in an effort to boost the domestic industry. Cartoons co-produced by domestic and foreign animation studios also need to obtain approval from the SARFT if they are to be aired between 5pm and 8pm.

Broadcasters were told to limit use of foreign cartoons in 2000 at a time when Japanese animation dominated the market. In 2004, the government limited foreign cartoons shown in prime time to 60 percent of the total. -China Daily