Abstract: This article analyzes the Chinese-Albanian relationship following following the Sino-Soviet split, and discusses how Albanian cultural imports helped influence 1960s China. Albania was unique in choosing China over the USSR after the split. After the split, the Soviets pulled their movies from China, and the Chinese turned to Albania to provide the Chinese people with films. Because of this signature status, Albanian cultural products enjoyed a practical monopoly on foreign movies and journals in 1960s China. The link to Albania served to legitimize the Chinese leadership’s position that the USSR was not the only possible ally. This article demonstrates that over and above the relationship between the superpowers, the split also produced other unintended relationships on a variety of levels. Albanian images and customs become something of a fashion in China, even during the Cultural Revolution. In addition, this article demonstrates a widespread Chinese fondness for the Albanian movies of the 1960s, as well as an appreciation by several Chinese filmmakers for the influence of Albanian movie-making techniques.