Earlier this month, the U.S. entertainment magazine "Variety" quoted Chinese sources as saying that the film ban would begin on Saturday and last for some three months.

The "Variety" story triggered complaints from US officials, who called for the removal of China's import quota on American films.

"Importing foreign films is a business operation managed by the movie importing companies. It's done in accordance with China's regulations on movie management and the demand of the Chinese market," said the notice from the State Administration for Film, Radio and Television (SAFRT). The agency did not elaborate.

The Chinese government promised to import 20 foreign movies annually when it entered the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, but the real number far exceeded that figure, said Wang Ziqiang, spokesman for China's National Copyright Administration (NCA).

From 2000 to 2004, China imported 4,332 films, of which 40 percent to 50 percent were from the United States, according to statistics from the Ministry of Culture.