The government is planning to develop the culture industry through reforms, but major systemic problems remain, industry experts said Sunday.
The plan for boosting the Chinese culture industry released by the State Council Saturday includes major projects for cultural development, which aim at expanding domestic demand, creating new jobs and promoting economic development, said a spokesman for the State Council answering reporter’s questions Sunday.
The plan includes the accelerated development of key cultural sectors such as creative industries, filmmaking and entertainment, publishing, advertising, cultural exhibitions, and digital animated cartoon sectors.
Cross-region and cross-industry mergers or restructuring are encouraged to speed up industrial integration.
Favorable policies will be granted for export of cultural products and services to expand the foreign culture market, according to the plan.
China’s culture industry in recent years has grown at rates of over 15 percent year-on-year. In some regions, it has even become a pillar of economic growth, Cai Wu, Chinese Minister of Culture, said at a press conference September 14 when the plan was approved.
The major obstacle to the advancement of the cultural industry is the system, which is mostly made up of government agencies and institutions, Cui Baoguo, director of the Center of Media Management and Economic Studies at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times.
The State is becoming less involved in several culture-related groups, a move that many greet as a step in the right direction.
One of these organizations, the China Oriental Song & Dance Ensemble, a national song and dance troupe, is currently being transformed from a central government affiliated organization under the Ministry of Culture (MOC) to a State-owned company, and expects to get its business license by end of the year, Zhang Xianhui, deputy head of the ensemble, told the Global Times.
Under the current system, the ensemble cannot engage in many activities such as signing independent contracts for commercial performances and get financing from sources other than State funding, Zhang explained.
In many cases, the ensemble needs to submit an application to the supervisory ministries for approval.
"For an overseas performance, the ensemble needs to get approval from the MOC. We need to submit an application to the MOC to get funding and for an investment of 8 million ($1.17 million), we also have to get approval from the Ministry of Finance," Zhang noted.
After the reform, the ensemble as a company will be able to sign contracts and it will be much easier to get approval, Zhang said.
There are still some regulations that need to be ironed out, Zhang added, "after all, there has never been a similar case before, and it will take some time for the transition to be completed."
Around 100 cultural organizations nationwide will become companies by end of the year, said Zhang.
责任编辑：mman
