Analysts here believe that the commercialization of China's
cultural sector will help carry forward the country's 5,000-year-old
cultural heritage, achievements and civilization in the new
century.
According to the
analysts, cultural commercialization has become one of the
latest development trends in China's cultural circles.
Jin Yiwei, vice
director of the cultural products bureau under the Ministry
of Culture, said that the phrase of "cultural commercialization"
was first defined in the 10th Five-Year (2001- 2005) Plan
for National Economic and Social Development, which was approved
last month at the fifth Plenary Session of the 15th Central
Committee of the Communist Party of China.
The explicit definition
of "cultural commercialization" has put the development
of cultural production and its integration with information
industry to an important position in the country's economic
and social development.
"Cultural
Commercialization" does not mean that all of the country's
cultural fields will be commercialized, but will focus on
the culture-related products for the domestic and overseas
consumption market, the official explained.
The business operation
and commercial activities on cultural products must strictly
abide by relevant laws and regulations, he said.
At the same time,
the immaterial cultural research, education and moral tradition
is also listed as the country's major development projects
in the new century.
Zhang Jiangang,
a leading researcher from the philosophy research institute
under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that for
thousands of years culture had been branded as a kind of tool
for education dyed with strong ideological concept to the
neglect of its economic attributes. The commercialization
of cultural sector is a newly developed sector in the 20th
century with the focus on commercialization of cultural and
art products, including reproduction, displaying and selling,
the expert said. And this has made the sector face a new challenge.
As a matter of
fact, the development of commercialized culture has long become
a common acknowledgment in developed countries, said Ye Lang,
a professor at Beijing University.
In Britain, the
speed of cultural commercialization development is twice that
of its national economic growth rate.
In the United States,
cultural commercialization is one of the pillar economic sectors
following probably only the astronautical and aviation industries.
The country's mass movies, television programs and audio-video
products occupy some 40 percent of the world's market.
Ye, also the director
of the cultural commercialization research institute of Peking
University, added that it is just the process of the cultural
commercialization that has made it possible for herculean
cultural products of developed countries to be dumped into
developing countries, exerting unpredictable negative impact
on the economic patterns and social value of the latter.
Lin Jianfa, executive
chief editor of the Journal Literature Comments, said that
the appeal for cultural commercialization has become increasingly
strong along with the establishment of a socialist market
economy since China introduced the policies of opening up
and reform in the late 1970s.
"At a time
when China's entry to the WTO is approaching, it's all the
more a must for the country to effect culture as a commercial
sector." Lin said, adding that people would have more
time and spend more on entertainment in the new century, thus
greatly accelerating the consumption of cultural products.
Now that the Chinese
people have around one-third of the whole year as holidays,
which naturally leaves a great room and a huge space for developing
the cultural industry.
Chen Sihe, a famous
essayist from Fudan University in Shanghai, said what is more
pressing is that cultural products from overseas, those from
developed countries in particular, would pour into the Chinese
market no matter how the Chinese cultural sector performs
it.
"Chinese cultural
departments should make greater efforts to make full use of
our rich cultural resources and promote commercialization
of cultural products to meet the requirements of competitive
international market and resist those that are unsuitable
to Chinese conditions," he said.
The State Development
Planning Commission and the Ministry of Culture are joining
efforts to work out a long-term development program to that
effect.
Meanwhile, a dozen
of major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang
and Chongqing, have enacted a series of regulations coupled
with launching related projects to promote cultural commercialization.
The Chinese press
has also echoed quickly to the changes through improving their
art quality and moral standards to attract more readers. Within
the cultural circle, an initial mechanism to commercialize
the market has also been introduced such as hosting art festivals,
cultural exchange activities as well as film and music festivals.
Statistics by the
Ministry of Culture show that by the end of 1999, a total
of 270,000 culture-related business organizations had been
set up, covering four major cultural markets: recreational
business, audio-video production, stage performances, and
art work trade.
Over 1.12 million
people are involved in these setups, troupes, agencies or
companies, which reported an annual income of 22.6 billion
yuan (about US$2.73 billion).
To strengthen administration
and supervision of the cultural market, the country has promulgated
more than 100 laws and regulations governing copyright, publication,
business performances, audio-video products, recreational
centers and film production.
The consumption
of cultural products last year totaled 80 billion yuan and
in 5 year, China's huge potential cultural market will register
an annual turnover of 600 billion yuan, official sources predicted.
(Xinhua 11/25/2000)
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