UME, a cinema company belonging to Chinese media investor CMC Capital Group, has received approval for a license to operate a cinema chain across China, the company confirmed Monday.

Thus far, UME’s cinemas in China have been operating separately from one another, not as a unified chain.

The news comes after the country’s regulator paused the issuing of licenses of this kind for three years until last December, when it released a new policy in December specifying the qualifications needed to run a nationwide cinema chain.

In order to consolidate an overcrowded industry, the new policy requires cinemas to demonstrate certain bottom lines before applying for a cinema chain license: a minimum 500 million yuan ($73.71 million) in annual box office revenue and at least 300 screens owned.

In March, an observer familiar with the industry told Caixin that seven companies were rumored to have received new cinema chain licenses. So far, apart from UME, cinema companies Bona Film and Zhong Ying Xing Da have confirmed to Caixin that they have received licenses.

Related: Cinema Regulator Resumes Licensing as Consolidation Looms