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What a Taiwan flag patch in 'Tom Gun: Maverick' says about Hollywood's role in U.S.-China relations

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People watching a movie at a cinema in Wanda Group's Oriental Movie Metropolis in Qingdao, China's Shandong province. ( Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)
People watching a movie at a cinema in Wanda Group's Oriental Movie Metropolis in Qingdao, China's Shandong province. ( Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

"Top Gun Maverick" set a new box office record in its opening weekend. Tom Cruise steps back into the role he played in the 1986 film "Top Gun" and he wears the same leather bomber jacket, which has a Taiwanese flag patch stitched onto it.

This small detail has created a big problem with China.

Host Scott Tong talks about how Hollywood's relationship with China is changing with Erich Schwartzel, who covers the film industry for the Wall Street Journal and is the author of the book "Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy."

This segment aired on June 14, 2022.

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