Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, a co-chairman for President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, heaped praise on China in an interview with Chinese state television, saying "doors opened" for his movie studio in the communist regime after he learned "the China way."Katzenberg, the co-founder of DreamWorks, said in a 2017 interview with CGTN America, a subsidiary of the CCP’s propaganda department, that business in China had proved "extremely rewarding." He praised China’s technological innovation as "way ahead" of other countries, and downplayed concerns about China’s reputation for censoring American movies.
Katzenberg’s friendly relationship with China could present a political liability for Biden, who has come under scrutiny for failing to stand up to Beijing and for his son Hunter’s dealings there. National security officials have warned that the Chinese government increasingly tries to influence American foreign policy through business leaders and other influencers outside government.
Biden may have had a hand in opening doors for Katzenberg in China. In 2012, the New York Times reported that then-Vice President Biden negotiated with Chinese president Xi Jinping to secure a deal that would open the Chinese market to more American films. Katzenberg, who attended a State Department event with Biden and Xi around the time the deal was sealed, called it an "honor for us and a huge opportunity" to have more access to China. One of Katzenberg’s earliest business partners was Jiang Mianheng, the son of former Communist Party leader and Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
Katzenberg’s status in China was on display at a 2015 White House dinner, when the Hollywood mogul was seated at the head table with Xi and a few other American executives.
