People’s Daily recently published an article by Jiang Jianguo, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP). The article called for culture system reform in order to increase the nation’s soft power, which should match China’s current economic and international status. The author pointed out that the U.S. commands 43% of the world’s “culture market.” The E.U. holds 34%. The Asia-Pacific region only holds 19% (Japan 10%, Korea 5%, China and the other nations 4%). It is believed that China’s international influence is very weak. The article suggests establishing a strategy to use culture to improve China’s “cultural soft power.” The article identified the key principle as “ensuring the Party tightly maintains control over the culture industry.”
Source: People’s Daily Online, November 22, 2010
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/30178/13279140.html