SHANGHAI, China - Sony Pictures has set up a joint venture television and film co-production unit in China, taking advantage of a loosening of restrictions on the tightly controlled industry.

The joint venture with Hua Long Film Digital Production Co. of the state-run China Film Group, which holds a majority stake, has full approval from Chinese regulators, Sony Pictures Television International said in a statement Thursday.

"For the very first time a Hollywood studio will be co-producing television programming specifically for the PRC and global audiences," it cited Yang Buting, chairman of China Film Group, as saying.

China's media watchdog, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, and the Ministry of Commerce gave the go-ahead for the joint venture, to be called Huaso Film/Television Digital Production Co., Sony Pictures said.

China recently announced it would let foreign companies take stakes in local television production companies, giving international media better access to the world's biggest market. But the new rules, due to take effect Sunday, retain a ban on foreign involvement in news and current affairs-related content.

Huaso has already opened offices in Beijing and has a number of Chinese-language projects in development, including entertainment, sit-coms, drama series and TV movies, for distribution within and outside China, Sony said.

The joint venture's general manager will be Dandan Zhang, an industry veteran who most recently was director of Hong Kong's Sun TV.

The statement gave no financial details.

Beijing-based China Film Group, the country's biggest film producer and the only company authorized to import foreign films, has already worked with Sony Pictures in making and distributing Chinese films for cinema.

Sony Pictures said it plans to expand production in Asia. It now also produces television programming in India, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan.

Previously, Chinese regulations limited most foreign broadcasters to selling programming in southern China's Guangdong province, near Hong Kong, and also to upscale hotels and expatriate residential compounds.

With the opening of the industry, international media groups have been jostling to expand production and distribution.

Viacom Inc.'s MTV has expanded the reach of its 24-hour channel in Guangdong province and announced plans to produce Chinese-language children's programming with Shanghai Media Group, the city's biggest media conglomerate, and music and entertainment programs with Beijing Television.

The Discovery Channel, Time Warner and Disney are also said to be in talks with Shanghai Media Group on co-production.

Although regulators are opening the market to help internationalize and upgrade the industry, China still imposes numerous restrictions on content. It also requires Chinese partners in such co-production joint ventures to hold majority stakes.

Programming must be predominantly in Chinese language, about Chinese themes.

Broadcast of politically sensitive programming is taboo, and regulators have recently increased censorship of anything deemed obscene, socially disruptive or otherwise unsuitable for family viewing.