Cai Wu, the head of China’s Ministry of Culture, wrote an article discussing the direction of China’s cultural development in the 12th five-year-plan, following Hu Jintao’s comments on cultural development from his speech at the CCP’s 90th anniversary. Hu said that “[China must] continue to vehemently promote great cultural development and prosperity, and unshakably develop advanced Socialist culture.” Cai said, “To promote China’s culture to ‘go out [overseas]’ [so as to] elevate China’s soft power, is an important strategic task related to the overall national plan. … During the 12th five-year-plan, (China) must emphatically enhance the unique role of culture in the national strategy of foreign work; improve cultural relations with other countries and important international organizations; enhance cultural exchanges and cooperation with neighboring countries and local organizations; increase cultural aid to foreign countries; actively participate in international cultural affairs; increase the speeches and discourse.”
“(Specifically), using China’s overseas culture as the starting point, (China should) expand globally, increase the scale, establish a comprehensive platform, and espouse the overall development of overseas cultural facilities. (China should also) diligently develop cultural exchange projects, meticulously organize a national cultural year, Chinese culture festivals, a culture week, a ‘Happy Spring Festival,’ and other big brand name activities; enhance international dialogue in the areas of culture and ideology; … increase China’s voice in the international academic world; use great effort to increase foreign cultural trade; promote more culture products and services; promote ‘going out’ at a faster pace; speed up the creation of competitive cultural brand names with our own intellectual properties; release more iconic culture products with Chinese features; and increase China’s competitiveness in the world culture market.”
Source: Qiushi, September 1, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2011/201117/201108/t20110830_106476.htm