Chinese translation (scroll down)
China has made the development of its creative and cultural industries a policy priority. Massive investments are directed at State, Regional, District and Municipal levels to this effect.
Cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen are at the forefront of a policy driven essentially by economic considerations: develop a service economy capable of producing and distributing entertainment, design, in valorising the local craftsmanship and raw materials (silk for instance) to cater for the Chinese audience but also to export Chinese cultural goods and services abroad.
Shanghai and Shenzhen estimate that around 7% of the city’s GDP stems from culture and creative industries. Beijing put this figure at 12% with a larger definition of CCIs which include sport, tourism and business software. Large culture and creative industry trade fairs are taking place throughout China, creative clusters or parks are burgeoning throughout with a view to build capacity. Universities have set up specialized departments to study the economics of the culture industry and consider policies to nurture this particular economic sector. Large industrial conglomerates, whether public or private, active in real estate or the energy sector are devoting increasingly large investments to the development of creative industries, perceived as a key growth sector.
