Chinese cinemagoers must watch propaganda clips before films

Li Bingbing, Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan appear in the clips

Cinemagoers in China are being obliged to watch propaganda videos featuring some of the country's best-loved stars.

Actors including Jackie Chan, Rogue One's Donnie Yen and Transformers star Li Bingbing were filmed for the short clips, which launched this month.

The four public-service ads promote President Xi Jinping's vision of a new China and the "core socialist values" of the Chinese Communist Party.

The films go under the title "The glory and the dream: our Chinese dream."

Li Bingbing tells audience members they are helping to "realise the Chinese dream"

The stars are shown standing in front of a plain backdrop, with their words appearing on the screen as music plays.

Jackie Chan features in one of the clips

Yen reads a Chairman Mao quote, while Li Bingbing - who appeared in Transformers: Age of Extinction - says: "No matter what you do, as long as you don't disappoint our country, our society, our people and your family, then you are helping to realise the Chinese dream."

Donnie Yen was seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The idea came from the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, said the official Beijing Youth Daily.

It added: "The purpose is to help people better understand and accept the [ruling communist] party's principles and policies."

While the newspaper said Beijing cinemas were required to play one of the clips, AFP said theatres in other parts of the country had pledged to follow suit.

Cinema employees have reportedly claimed people have been arriving late to films in order to avoid the clips.

Some social media users in China have scorned the idea, while others say the clips spread "positive energy".