A strong cultural industry in China could enhance the country's economic strength and spread its culture to the world, a forum at the ongoing China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Fair was told yesterday.

Liu Binjie, deputy director of the General Administration of Press and Publications, told delegates: "We will increase the competitiveness of our cultural products and eventually play a leading role in the global market."

Chinese people are increasingly enjoying other country's cultures, with easy access to Hollywood films from the United States, animation and comics from Japan, TV plays from South Korea and best-selling European books.

However, cultural exports from China are still limited.

China bought the copyrights to nearly 4,000 books from the United States in 2004 but sold just 14 itself, Liu said.

The situation is similar in the United Kingdom and Japan.

Russian art troupes staged more than 100 performances in China in the same year, but China's art troupes gave less than 10.

Meanwhile, the country's import of audio and video products and films were more than 10 times those of exports.

Ding Wei, assistant to culture minister, agreed that China's cultural industry should play a more important role in the global market.

Learning from foreign countries, the Chinese authorities should reform and energize the cultural industry, he said.

The cultural industry has been long regarded as a non-core sector in China that heavily depends on government subsidies.

Ding said the strong market demand would provide favourable conditions for the development of the cultural industry.

"Some experts estimate that expenditure on cultural products and services in our country will amount to 4,000 billion-5,000 billion yuan (US$320 billion-625 billion) in the next five years," Ding said.

With increasing government input and non-government funds, the cultural industry has witnessed fast growth so far this year.

Shenzhen Customs yesterday released the figures for the export of cultural products, including publications, audio and video products, artwork and antiques, through the city's ports in the first four months of this year.

Exports surged 36.2 per cent year-on-year to US$160 million, of which nearly US$100 million were produced by foreign-funded companies and about US$14.2 million by private companies.

The export of artwork and antiques increased by 1.5 times to US$3.68 million and the export of publications accounted for more than 80 per cent of the total exports.

Hong Kong, United States and European Union were the three biggest export destinations.

The China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Fair is the country's only comprehensive professional fair in the field of culture.

About 26 overseas cities have organized companies to exhibit at the event and more than 3,400 foreign trade visitors have registered.

With a total of nine halls for industries including design, media, performance, publishing, cartoon, vocational education and arts, the fair takes up a total area of 105,000 square metres in the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Source: China Daily