As one of the more influential components of the so-called “soft power” push, China’s film industry reflects the overall weak cultural impact of the whole. Even as economic ties multiply between China and the outside world, the flow of cultural exchange remains imbalanced. Chinese works, traditional or modern, consistently struggle to find the same acceptance abroad as Western works enjoy on the mainland. While money remains at the heart of China’s soft power push abroad, time is also required for fulfilling China’s creative potential—it’s going to be a long process towards change.