The AFM, which gets underway tomorrow, will see a record influx of Chinese companies and execs. But that’s not the only draw for Mainland players this week. The 2013 U.S. China Film Summit kicks off today in LA with execs and talent attending that include Village Roadshow Pictures Asia CEO Ellen Eliasoph, CAA China managing director Jonah Greenberg, MPA president for Asia-Pacific, Mike Ellis, and Xiao Lu Xue, director of box office hitFinding Mr Right. Last night, an event organized by the MPAA and China’s SAPPRFT was held at Universal to celebrate the start of the third annual China International Co-Production Film Screenings. Attending were NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer, MPAA chief Chris Dodd and China Film Group vice chairman Jiao Hongfen, among others.

Meyer delivered a speech in which he said, “We are focused on building new and expanded partnerships to establish long-term relationships between Universal and China.” He also noted that Universal’s “key initiatives” include “doing more co-productions and establishing an office in Beijing that will be our base of operations in China.” It further emerged that Despicable Me 2 will have a China release in early 2014. (The originalDespicable Me was not released there and earlier this year, the sequel had been denied a slot.) “As Universal enters its 2nd century in Hollywood, we look forward to working closely with the Chinese film industry to deliver outstanding movies for fans in both of our countries and around the world,” Meyer said, noting that Universal has enjoyed a “very good year” at the Chinese box office with films likeLes Misérables, Oblivion, Fast & Furious 6 and Jurassic Park 3D. Dodd, according to The Hill, remarked, “Along with the increasing level of exchanges between our two film industries, more partnerships have been formed, more cinemas have been built, more films have been produced and shown in both of our nations.”