In this golden autumn with refreshing breeze, delegates of cultural and commercial organizations from both China and Sweden are now gathering in such a beautiful and abundant city as Vasteras in Vastmanland, to conduct a joint discussion under this significant theme, Coordinated Development of Economy and Culture. I firmly believe this forum will definitely facilitate cultural exchange and cooperation all over the world and strengthen mutual understanding and friendship among different peoples.
including 12 nationwide associations of specific art disciplines, namely literature, theatre, film and TV, music, dance, fine arts, calligraphy, Quyi, acrobatics, photography and folk literature and art, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles is the largest non-governmental organization in Chinese cultural and art field. CFLAC is committed to uniting writers and artists all over China, publicizing excellent Chinese culture, fostering new talents, facilitating artistic creation and international exchange and promoting Chinese literary and art cause to a constant prosperity. This time, CFLAC sponsors China Today Arts Week in cities in Sweden such as Malmo and Vasteras, in which national music, dance, acrobatics, magic, puppet theatre and films are showcased to Swedish audience. We are delighted to see that the Arts Week has succeeded in manifesting the latest achievement in Chinese literature and arts and gaining supreme popularity among Swedish audience. Today, I would like to take this forum as a platform to brief you of my insight on the innovation and development of cultural industry in China.
Firstly, culture is now playing an increasingly important role in national economic and social development. As a saying goes, culture is the total material and spiritual wealth created by mankind, which exactly defines what culture is. Culture is not only a nation’s spirit and heritage, but also a key symbol of national comprehensive power. A nation’s revival and prosperity and people’s happy lives call for economic power as well as a mighty cultural command. The current world is undergoing great development, dramatic changes and significant adjustment. With the in-depth development of economic globalization and daily progress in science and technology, culture is exerting more extensive and profound influence than ever, and cultural industry has gradually witnessed a constant growth and thus become the pillar industry.
Watching China Today Arts Week to see today's China
With a history of over 5000 years, 56 nationalities, a population of 1.3 billion, China is staging a gigantic market for cultural production and consumption as one of the most potential country of cultural industry. In the past 33 years since reform and opening up, especially in the 21st century, with invariable importance attached to cultural construction, China has designed a series of development strategy of culture with equal emphasis on spiritual demand while pursuing economic interest. China now enjoys a rapid and sound development in cultural cause and cultural industry and then forms a unique approach in cultural development with Chinese characteristic.
Mr. & Mrs. Jablonskimperformed togetherPhoto by Xiang Yunju
Secondly, it is the basic objective of cultural reform and development to meet the people’s cultural and spiritual demand in a continuous way. In the process of advocating scientific development, transforming economic development approach and promoting cultural reform, we pay more attention to people’s welfare and coordinated development of cultural cause and industry. The cultural development is for the people, by the people and of the people. Chinese government takes this initiative and gives priority to public service especially in rural areas. The first step is just to safeguard people’s basic right to enjoy culture. At present, quantity of investment from national finance has made it possible that all the villages in China are included into radio and TV network. Moreover, a comprehensive cultural hub and a big batch of bookstores are established in every county and a complimentary film show takes place every month in every village. With more and more enhanced infrastructure such as libraries, cultural hubs and museums at national and local levels open to the public free of charge, the public culture service has witnessed an obvious improvement in quality.
Thirdly, reform and innovation are the very motivation for development of cultural industry. By reform, we mean to promote and develop productive force in culture and enhance vitality of cultural development. In the current circumstance of market economy, cultural industry is the very outcome of culture in combination with economy, market and scientific technology while creation and innovation are the most distinctive factors in culture. On the one hand, we inherit and promote excellent Chinese traditional culture, embrace foreign cultures, and spare no efforts to absorb all the essence and experience of excellent civilizations. On the other hand, in adjustment for the diversity in people’s spiritual demand, we encourage innovation in contents, systems and ways of transmission in culture. By means of contemporary high technologies, we are determined to promote advanced culture, manage cultural market and safeguard intellectual property rights. Our aim is just to construct a modern system of cultural industry with openness, standard and fair competition.
In 2010, with the issue of a timely revival plan of cultural industry by Chinese government, strategy of important cultural industry projects was realized. With the occurrence of new dominant units in cultural market, cultural investors of various ownerships were attracted to set up a series of backbone cultural enterprises in audio-video animation production, book publishing and distribution, digital network transmission, performance and exhibition. The cultural competence is therefore considerably solidified. In the last decade, the proportion of cultural industry in national economy has been increased by a large margin with the average rate of more than 15% annually. Cultural industry has become a highlight in China’s economic and social development, from which Chinese people benefit most.
Lastly, international exchange in culture is a bond of friendship and world peace among people of different countries. While forming the harmonious culture of its own, China advocates building a harmonious world and takes an active part in cultural dialogue and communications against the background of globalization. Currently, China has established cultural exchange relationship with over 160 countries and signed nearly 800 agreements of cultural exchange with over 140 countries. With persistent emphasis to promote non-governmental cultural exchange and support cultural enterprise in molding national cultural brands, Chinese government will also conduct research in commercial mode of cultural exchange and pursue a new approach of cultural cooperation between China and outside world. CFLAC will hold fast to and safeguard the cultural diversity of the world, and call on mutual respect and exchange on an equal basis between different civilizations. Through the expanded cooperation with cultural and commercial organizations in Sweden and other foreign countries, we expect to establish a relationship of mutual benefit, expand cooperation domains, innovate cooperation system, and jointly to promote the prosperity of global culture and arts and the world’s peace, harmony and win-win development.
Madame Zhao Shi, Vice President of CFLAC and Producer ofChina Today Arts Week, Addressed at China-Sweden BusinessForumConsisting of 54 group members totally
