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E-mail China.org.cn, November 11, 2012
The building of Chinese cultural sector forms an important part of the general development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and changes to the administrative system of the cultural sector constitute an integral part of the country's overall reform. The 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) drafted a strategic plan to deepen the reform of how culture is managed, explicitly dividing the nation's cultural establishments into two major categories -- those of a social welfare nature and those with a profit-making orientation. The CPC's 17th National Congress called for a new way of building up a socialist culture by strengthening its soft power and pushing for the development and prosperity of the cultural industry. At the Sixth Session of the 17th CPC National Congress, the Party expounded in depth the road of cultural development with Chinese characteristics, and set up the grand goal of building the nation into a socialist cultural power. Over the past 10 years, under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee, different regions and the departments concerned across the country have gone through an extraordinary course of reforming the cultural sector's administrative system with resounding success.
First, by emancipating the mind and embracing new concepts, theoretical breakthroughs have been made on building a socialist culture, and guidelines for promoting the cultural sector's administrative system have been set.
In compliance with the principles of the Scientific Outlook on Development, we have abandoned the old and stereotyped thinking that restrained the scientific development of the cultural sector and pushed for the reforms with new theoretical breakthroughs and an emancipated mind. As a result, the whole Party's and nation's consciousness of and confidence in Chinese culture have been further strengthened. The idea of pursuing greater cultural development that conforms to the principles of the Scientific Outlook on Development has struck root in the hearts of the people. Furthermore, a consensus has been reached across the nation that we should stick on the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics and endeavor to build the country into a socialist cultural power.
Second, the desired reforms of how the cultural sector is administered and managed as set forth by the CPC Central Committee have by and large been fulfilled.
In accordance with the principle of "innovating the administrative system, transforming its operations, targeting the marketplace and building up the strength of cultural establishments," we have focused on turning business-oriented cultural establishments into actual businesses and vigorously pushed forward reforms and innovation. With the task of turning state-owned cultural establishments into enterprises fully accomplished, the strength, vigor and competitiveness of the enterprises have been continually enhanced. In the meantime, administrative reforms on the cultural market in second- and third-tier cities have also been carried out. As a result, the capacity of local cultural administrative departments in making policy decisions, overseeing the market, as well as providing public services has been enhanced. Statistics suggest that a wide range of reform programs had been conducted across the country by September 10, 2012. Hundreds of cultural establishments were converted into fully profit-oriented businesses, including 528 publishing houses; over 3,000 Xinhua Bookstore outlets; 850 movie studios, distributing companies or cinemas; 57 TV drama production centers; and the circulation departments of 38 CPC newspapers and magazines. In addition, 2,093 out of 2103 performing art troupes or theaters as well as 3,271 out of 3,388 non current-affairs newspapers and magazines were turned into business-oriented companies or publications, and over 80 percent of the country's key news websites had either fully or partially implemented administrative reforms. Incomplete figures also indicate that by the above-mentioned date, more than 6,900 legal entities in the profit-making cultural sector had been nullified, along with nearly 300,000 manning quotas of cultural establishments cancelled altogether.
Third, a nationwide network of public cultural services has taken shape.
Based on a dedication to the public interest, access to public resources has been improved. A number of goals have been achieved in key areas including perfecting the infrastructure network; innovating operations; expanding radio and TV program coverage to all villages; establishing village, township and community integrated cultural stations; sharing cultural information resources; showing movies in villages and establishing rural community libraries. Public museums, memorials, national demonstration bases for patriotism education, art museums and cultural centers have stopped charging admission fees so that all citizens are able to share the achievements of grassroots public cultural facilities. To keep abreast with the nationwide cause of reforming public institutions, public cultural institutions have also been reformed and their services improved. Previous weaknesses such as a shortage of books, movies, radio and TV programs have been addressed, and these resources are now available for a large majority of people.
Fourth, the overall scale and strength of the nation's cultural industry has been continuously expanded.
Plans for the revitalization of the cultural industry have been formulated, structures adjusted, layout streamlined, and the integration of culture, science and technology, tourism and finance has been promoted. Movie production, book publication, distribution, print and copy, advertisement, entertainment, recreation, cultural exhibitions, digital content and animated cartoons have all seen rapid development. A number of large-scale state-owned or state-controlled culture-related enterprises with total assets and total income exceeding or reaching 10 billion yuan have emerged. Today, an integrated, open, competition-based and orderly cultural market system has been established in China. A cultural industry has been formed in which public ownership plays the leading role and diverse forms of ownership develop side by side. The cultural industry has increasingly become a new engine for economic growth. Since 2004, the added value of culture-related companies has been increasing at an average annual speed of 20 percent, reaching 1.3479 trillion yuan in 2011, accounting for 2.85 percent of China's GDP.
Fifth, support for the creation and production of cultural products has been strengthened.
Reforms have been faithful to serving the people, socialism and the principle of "letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend." Democracy in art creation is encouraged in that the form, theme, style and expression of art works are expected to be diversified. Different opinions and schools of art can be fully expressed; different art forms and formats are encouraged. The creativity of cultural talent has blossomed and varied artistic thought and aesthetic views have been on display. Artworks with wide popularity have boomed. The creation and production of cultural products have flourished. The number of books published rose to 370,000 in 2011 from 190,000 in 2003; the number of TV series reached 15,000 in 2011 from 10,000 in 2003; that of movies rose from 140 with 1 billion yuan in total box office sales in 2003 to 558 and exceeding 13.1 billion yuan in sales in 2011, making China the third largest movie producer in the world.
Sixth, an all-round, multilevel and wide-range "going out" strategy of the cultural industry has been established.
Based on "government leadership, enterprise involvement, private participation and cooperation," cultural exchanges guided by the government and performed by individuals have been vigorously promoted. With new forms of culture being created and channels for distribution being expanded, the "going out" strategy of culture has been implemented. Export-oriented cultural enterprises have been created. The trade deficit of cultural products and services has been reduced. Outstanding domestic cultural brands with Chinese characteristics and a Chinese sense of style mushroomed, and their strength and competitiveness have been increased. Learning from best foreign cultural products, building Sino-foreign cultural ties, attracting more foreign capital to invest in the domestic cultural industry and creating an industry that is based on traditional culture have all been encouraged.
After 10 years of unremitting exploration, China has made remarkable achievements in reforming its cultural sector, which has greatly developed productivity in the market, promoted the development and prosperity of culture, upgraded national cultural competitiveness and cultivated a large number of talents in the industry. The overall strength and development of culture have been rejuvenated, leading China down the path of cultural development with Chinese characteristics.
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