Tension continues to mount between the U.S. and Beijing, with Disney (and other Hollywood Studios) being caught in the crossfire.

U.S. Attorney General William Barr had a harsh reprimand for The Walt Disney Company during a speech given in Michigan, and accused the Mouse House of bowing to China for short term financial gains.

From The Guardian…

“If Disney and other American corporations continue to bow to Beijing, they risk undermining both their own future competitiveness and prosperity, as well as the classical liberal order that has allowed them to thrive,” Barr said.

The Disney company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations.

“All too often, for the sake of short-term profits, American companies have succumbed to that influence – even at the expense of freedom and openness in the United States,” he said.

Barr cited two examples of Hollywood “kowtowing” to China in films. The Ancient One was changed from a Tibetan character to a Celtic character in Doctor Strange, and Paramount’s World War Z changed a scene where characters speculated that the zombie-inducing virus originated in China.

Those are just two small examples, of course. Several film franchises exist almost exclusively for Chinese moviegoers, such as Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean and Paramount’s Transformers films.

The Tensions Between the Government and Disney Could Escalate.

As we reported earlier, there’s a rumor that Disney may decide to sell off Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland both to claw back some lost revenue and to get the U.S. government off their backs.

Barr said that it was concerning that some of Shanghai Disneyland’s executives were openly part of the Chinese Communist Party and “display hammer-and-sickle insignia at their desks and attend party lectures during business hours.”

Ironically, Walt Disney Testified AGAINST Communists in 1947.

Oh, how time has changed The Walt Disney Company.

Walt Disney, a Republican, openly despised “commies” and on October 24, 1947 he testified before the House of Un-American Activities Committee… against many of his former employees whom he believed were communists.

[Source: The Guardian]