Families in Mongolia will have more opportunities to watch Chinese movies and TV series as the two neighboring countries' heads of state signed an agreement under which China will provide Mongolia with translated versions of 25 outstanding productions free over the next five years.

Visiting President Xi Jinping and his Mongolian counterpart, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, signed the deal on Thursday.

President Xi visits Mongolia

In July, Xi gave three DVDs－two Chinese TV series and one feature film－as gifts to Argentina's vice-president.

The entertainment industry was stirred.

"We have more than Peking Opera and kung fu. Chinese people have a colorful modern life," said Zhao Baogang, who directed the two TV series at the times.

Chinese-produced TV series have found audiences abroad since 2000, but their influence has been limited. The number of episodes exported was small at the beginning, and most TV series were not programmed by major local TV channels, an industry insider said on condition of anonymity.

But a breakthrough occurred around 2010 in Tanzania, when China Radio International translated the TV series A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era, which depicts trivial family matters. The series was welcomed by local people.

After its broadcast in Tanzania, more East African countries ordered the series, which was later translated into Spanish and Portuguese.

"It was just a trial we made without clear guidance at that time, but it turned out to be popular in that country," said Luo Xubing, deputy marketing director of China Radio International's film and TV translation center.

State leaders' promotion has further helped these Chinese TV productions to become known abroad, he said.

"When President Xi mentioned our product during his visit to Tanzania early last year, everything seemed to take off," he said.

Luo said the center exported more than 80 Chinese TV series and movies overseas in 2013, mostly to African countries, including Senegal and Nigeria, and Southeast Asia.

Story lines revolving around family issues are currently popular, he said.

That may be due to the similar family structures of China and Africa, and it's easy to present what modern China is like by taking that approach, Luo said.