"Those surveyed were more impressed by the technology and production values of Chinese films compared with their underlying messages," says Huang.

"While these (results) can be seen as a thumbs-up for Chinese technical skills, it can also be seen as an excessive focus on technology at the expense of content."

The report also says when viewers watched 15 or more Chinese films a year they paid more attention to the films' underlying messages.

"The number matters," says Huang. "So, if more Chinese films reach a wider audience through various distribution channels, it will be helpful."

She adds that kung fu and action films are the most popular Chinese film genres in neighboring countries－a situation similar to the West－but comedy films are gaining ground.

Yu Guoming, a communications professor at Beijing Normal University, says: "China's business and cultural sectors are not on the same page when it comes to tapping opportunities abroad.

"Many biases and stereotypes about China still exist. So, there can be no effective solution (to promoting Chinese films) without solid investigations," he says.

"To figure out what global filmgoers want, we need to look at the report to see what is absent or done poorly in Chinese films."

It's the sixth time that Huang's academy has published such a document, using answer sheets rather than big data.

There is no such long-term survey by the country's film administration on the global influence of Chinese films.

Hu Zhifeng, editor-in-chief of Modern Communication, a major academic magazine that first published the report, says: "Its detailed answer sheets give the survey a human touch which goes beyond cold numbers.

"So far, we have always focused on the North American and European markets, but knew very little about how our films fare in neighboring countries. This report fills that void."

He also says the annual reports will be key to helping Chinese films do better in the region in the future.

Ma Chen, a researcher from Huang's team and co-author of the report, says: "As a research project on human behavior, six years is very short. But over a longer period, we can figure out trends.

"Things are changing. For instance, with online-broadcast platforms, there are more ways to give Chinese films exposure. So, we will adjust our survey methodologies in the coming years."