A Chinese political advisor revealed here on Thursday that China imported a total of 4,332 foreign films from 2000 to 2004 while only exporting a few over the same period.

"Despite the favorable trade surplus China has enjoyed for many years, the country has continuously suffered from a huge 'deficit' in terms of the import and export of cultural products," said Zhao Qizheng, a member of the Tenth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body which is holding its annual full session in Beijing.

Citing Customs statistics, Zhao, former minister in charge of the State Council Information Office, said for many years, China's books export merely accounts for one tenth of its books import from other parts of the world, and the deficit ratio has reached one a hundredth between China and Europe and the United States.

The main reason behind the "cultural deficits" is that the country's capability of spreading its own culture to the outside world remains comparatively weak, Zhao told a full meeting of the 2,200-strong members of the advisory body in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

"For an ancient civilization with a history of more than 5,000 years, it is sort of a shame to be unable to introduce our traditional culture to other peoples or share our new thoughts and concepts with the rest of the world," Zhao said.

He called for intensified efforts from both the government and the country's intellectuals to "reinvigorate the Chinese culture" and "gradually increase the export of our own cultural products."

"A special team of talents who have a good knowledge of foreign languages, cultures and ideologies should be formed and well trained to effectively enhance China's capability of international communication and self-promotion," he added.

Source: Xinhua