International Law

So I ended up purchasing three movies in Mandarin which will arrive sometime this week. Thankfully, I checked and all of them are Region 1 DVDs so I'll be able to view them.
What does Region 1 mean you ask?
That is the Region for the United States and Canada. Basically, a DVD has to be Region 1 in order for it to work in our DVD players and computers in North America because they are made for Region 1 DVDs. In China, the region is 6. Therefore, in order to view a Region 6 DVD, I have to own a freaking DVD player that can play Region 6 DVDs.
Can't all DVD players do that?
No. Apparently there is an international law that prohibits the existence of a DVD player that is "region free" or "multi-region." 
Why on earth does that law exist? Shouldn't it be a good thing to be able to watch what someone in France or China or Turkey is watching? We are becoming so global that this idea that we're basically separating ourselves through what we view seems like an effort by governments to promote nationalism in the sense they are trying to keep us separate and unable to relate. (I only say nationalism because I've been forced to read Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson and therefore have it on the brain). That or there's a law so the movie industry can make more money. Either reason sounds entirely possible at this point in our greedy society.
It's absolutely ridiculous that I have to buy a DVD player from China just to watch The Little Mermaid in Mandarin and hear what the children in China hear. It should work in my own DVD player. All DVD players should be able to play a movie from all over the world and don't tell me that's not possible since it IS possible to organize a system where it is freaking illegal.