Like countless Americans , I recently watched the entire second season of hit political drama `` House of Cards '' in one weekend after U.S. video streaming site Netflix released all 13 nearly hour-long episodes . But the website I logged on was Sohu -- one of the China 's biggest online video services -- that purchased exclusive rights to the series for mainland China , and posted the latest season at the same time as Netflix . Glued to my laptop , I could n't help but notice the major role China plays this season as one riveting plot unfolds after another . If you have been reading news headlines out of China , you would find any of the China angles familiar and believable : suspected cyber espionage , a trade war with Washington , a territorial dispute with Japan -- complete with an utterly corrupt Communist Party insider who boasts direct access to the decision-making Standing Committee . Censors . All this `` realness '' makes it a little surreal that my binge-viewing of the U.S. TV series happened in China . This , after all , is a country where the government allows only 34 foreign films to be screened in cinemas every year , and propaganda authorities routinely censor China-related material from foreign sources that they deem politically sensitive or merely unflattering . Case in point : `` The Blacklist , '' a new American crime drama , is widely available on Chinese video sites -- except Episode 3 . That episode has been removed by all streaming services -- including Sohu -- because it features a Chinese spy who kills CIA operatives as its main villain , and critiques China 's controversial one-child family planning policy . The China subplots in `` House of Cards , '' Season 2 do n't exactly portray the country all that positively , but the government appears to be leaving Sohu alone . `` We did n't know the second season would have so much to do with China -- probably because of the increasing importance of China in global affairs , '' Charles Zhang , Sohu 's chief executive , told me at a press conference Tuesday . `` Many Chinese people -- including officials -- are watching it now and we have had no problem . '' `` So ( the American shows on your site ) are not subject to censorship ? '' I asked . `` So far , no , '' he replied . Hands off . Some analysts are surprised by the government 's largely hands-off approach to video streaming sites , but caution that it may not last . `` New media is allowed to develop with less interference than older forms where there is already a structure in place , '' said Jeremy Goldkorn , a long-time Beijing-based observer and commentator on Chinese media . `` It 's going to be regulated just like any other media , especially if it becomes big enough , powerful enough and popular enough . '' For now , Sohu is focusing on broadening the appeal of `` House of Cards , '' scrambling to add Chinese subtitles and bombarding visitors to its website with banner ads . Sohu users have clearly noticed . The series ' latest and original seasons now occupy the top two spots in Sohu 's chart of most-watched American TV shows . Season 2 has been clocking almost three million views a day -- impressive for a complex story that requires a deep understanding of U.S. politics . Gripping plots . In comments left online , many Chinese viewers indicated they are drawn to the show for the same reasons as fans elsewhere : gripping plot twists , superb acting and stark parallel to reality . `` If you have to see the show as social commentary , I think it 's a strong diatribe against the political system in the U.S. rather than against China , '' said Raymond Zhou , a well-known columnist for China Daily , the country 's official English-language newspaper . `` The narrative does n't fault China but rather just one individual from China . '' A widely circulated Internet post claims that China 's anti-corruption tsar -- one of the seven Politburo Standing Committee members who effectively rule the country -- is a loyal fan of `` House of Cards '' and has recommended it to other officials . The anecdote may not be as far-fetched as one might think , considering what the show 's Machiavellian protagonist Frank Underwood tells viewers while being sworn in as the U.S. vice president : `` One heartbeat away from the presidency and not a single vote cast in my name -- democracy is so overrated . '' With messages like that , `` House of Cards '' seems to be a show China 's Communist leaders do n't mind their citizens watching at all .
Chinese online video service Sohu purchased exclusive rights to hit U.S. series . Second series of political drama features a number of storylines involving China . China restricts number of foreign movies , authorities censor material from foreign sources . China columnist : Strong diatribe against political system in the U.S. rather than against China .