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Crayon Shin-chan is a popular comedy anime series from Japan
The releases of at least two popular Japanese films have been postponed in China amid a dispute over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks concerning Taiwan.
The delayed releases include Cells at Work! and Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers, according to Chinese state media CCTV.
Cinema tickets are still available for the hit Japanese animation Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, the BBC has confirmed, but CCTV said sales in China had fallen recently as the row deepened.
Takaichi, who has been a vocal critic of China and its activities in the region, suggested earlier this month that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan.
Beijing views Taiwan - to which the government overthrown by China's communist revolution fled - as a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland.
Film distributors and importers have decided to postpone the releases after reassessing the overall outlook of Japanese films in China and the sentiment among Chinese audiences, CCTV reported on Monday.
Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers, which is an animated comedy about the adventures of a young boy and his friends, was due to be released in the coming weeks.
Cells at Work! - which has also seen its release postponed - is a live action movie based on a manga about human blood cells fighting off viruses.
CCTV did not say how long the films' releases will be delayed for.
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