http://time.com/5215236/beijing-film-festival-call-me-by-your-name/
I remember a similar incident here in our country about other films like these two films
Here in the Philippines, Call Me By Your Name has an advanced screening as part of the CinemaOne Originals 2017 lineup. Four screenings were initially planned, all of which sold out, prompting the festival heads to add an additional screening which also sold out. Late January, it also has a limited release in selected theater.
I don't know about the Chinese, but we Filipinos, tend to rouse our curiousity, the more they banned a film, the more likely we wanted to watch it.