Sina news today report:
cultural minister of China rejected claims about ‘cultural industries’
Cai Wu- the cultural minister of China said in an event that department of culture has never voiced for ‘marketization’ and ‘industrialisation’. These claims are one-sided and wrong. He pointed to the differences between cultural affairs and cultural industries. Cultural affairs are social affairs, part of the public infrastructures. They are under state direction, and public sponsorship. The commission of cultural activities mainly go to non-for-profit state organizations. The aim is to serve the basic cultural needs of the public. This is the responsibility of the government. It’s not suitable for market operation.
On the other hand, there are cultural sectors that are suitable for commercialisation, and we shall allow the market to rule to some extent. In terms of cultural industries, we shall not link it direct to traditional industries. This means that government shall not involved in the establishment of cultural enterprises. This is part of the cultural structure revolution presented in the 12th 5 year plan. In the past, governments have been involved in the market operation of culture especially when it is linked to local GDP. This has caused many cultural clusters to be converted into real estate development projects. Many lessons to be learnt from it. We have to remember that the responsibility of the government is to provide a nurturing environment for the development of cultural industries. Through policy intervention, governance shall focus on coordinating market activities rather than become part of the market ourselves.
Both cultural affairs and cultural industries are important. They are also part of the cultural governance restructuralization process taking place in China right now. The key to that is to seperate governance from the market. Restructuralizing state own cultural equities as well as cultural organizations that have already been involved in market operation. The latter will be seperated from the state owned structure.
