The Walt Disney Co. will release Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in China on May 20, which is the same day-and-date as U.S. and most of the world, playing in all formats, including 3D and IMAX-3D.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will be one of the 20 imported titles allowed to recoup between 13-17 percent of its box office gross in China each year, where the state-run duopoly of the China Film Group and Huaxia Film Distribution control Hollywood imports and distribution despite a World Trade Organization ruling that says the practice is illegal.

China's box office jumped 64 percent in 2010 to $1.5 billion and Hollywood studios are ever more keen to get their biggest titles into the market that, with an explosion the sale of premium 3D and IMAX tickets, saw Avatar gross more than $200 million in China alone.