China is targeting Hollywood in a new escalation of its trade war with the United States, refusing to show Western films in cinemas and on television, and sacking American actors.

The move is intended to damage an iconic US industry as tensions between the world's two largest economies remain high.

It also comes as China is set to overtake the US as the country with the biggest box office takings in the world next year.

According to a new study released by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Chinese cinemas will gross $12.28 billion (£9.6 billion) in 2020, compared to $11.93 billion in the US. China already sells more tickets.

In recent years Hollywood has increasingly been banking on the success of its movies in China, with many of them being written, and cast, to appeal to Chinese audiences.

Even smaller US films have had huge success in China. In March, the low-budget drama Green Book made $71 million there.

The squeezing out of Hollywood movies by China is retaliation for Donald Trump's trade war. On May 10, Mr Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10 per cent to 25 per cent.

China then raised its tariffs on $60 billion worth of US goods. It also promised there would be other "countermeasures," and it now appears that includes suppressing films.