.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Lu Yingchuan, vice minister of culture and tourism

Mr. Du Jiang, vice minister of culture and tourism

Mr. Chen Binbin, director general of the Public Service Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT)

Mr. Gao Zheng, director general of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the MCT

Chairperson:

Mr. Chen Wenjun, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

Dec. 14, 2023

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is the 31st briefing in the series "Embarking on the New Journey — A Government Perspective." The Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) will brief you on accelerating the building of a leading country in culture and promoting the high-quality development of culture and tourism industries. Today, we have invited Mr. Lu Yingchuan, vice minister of culture and tourism; Mr. Du Jiang, vice minister of culture and tourism; Mr. Chen Binbin, director general of the Public Service Department of the MCT; and Mr. Gao Zheng, director general of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the MCT, to answer your questions.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Lu for his introduction. 

Lu Yingchuan:

Friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am delighted to speak with you on accelerating the building of a leading country in culture and promoting the high-quality development of culture and tourism industries.

Building a leading country in culture and promoting the high-quality development of culture and tourism industries are important strategic decisions made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. The 20th CPC National Congress provided comprehensive directives in this regard. The MCT has diligently studied and implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, fully implemented the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, and taken a series of targeted and effective measures. We have undertaken substantial groundwork with a focus on long-term efforts, resulting in positive steps toward the high-quality development of culture and tourism.

First, we adhere to the principles of cultural enrichment and empowerment, fostering the prosperous development of cultural undertakings and industries. We have increased support for stage arts and visual arts creation, implementing the New Era Series Art Creation project, organizing exhibitions of outstanding stage arts, and showcasing fine art. In the first 11 months of this year, the MCT hosted 27 exhibitions with 900,000 in-person visits and over 1.8 billion online views. Various stage productions, including the dance dramas "Wing Chun" and "Cavalry," the Yue opera "New Longmen Inn," and Chinese national opera "Daughter of the Party," have gained widespread popularity and acclaim. Progress has continued to be made in enhancing the quality and efficiency of urban and rural public cultural service systems, establishing innovative public cultural spaces, developing digital public cultural services, and implementing cultural projects that benefit the public. We have organized large-scale cultural events such as "village evenings" and square dance performances. In 2023, more than 20,000 "village evening" presentation events were held nationwide, with total participation of approximately 130 million instances. We have refined cultural economic policies, implemented a strategy to drive the development of the cultural industry through major cultural projects, actively fostered new business formats and models, launched a series of consumer promotion activities, and carried out specialized reforms in performance ticketing, scripted entertainment and other areas. The cultural industry has experienced rapid growth, with 342,000 commercial performances, box office revenue of 31.54 billion yuan and 111 million views in the first three quarters of this year, representing increases of 121%, 84.2% and 188.5%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2019.

Second, we adhere to the principles of upholding tradition while innovating, and maintaining confidence and self-strengthening. We have protected, inherited and promoted China's excellent traditions and culture. We have actively implemented major projects such as "A Comprehensive Study on the Origin and Early Development of Chinese Civilization" and "Chinese Archaeology," strengthening the protection and utilization of cultural relics and ancient books, advancing the fourth national cultural relics census, and implementing the ancient Chinese books protection plan. General Secretary Xi Jinping's inspection of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture, along with his important instruction on carrying forward Chinese culture in the era of national prosperity and social stability has strengthened our confidence and determination to promote the protection and utilization of ancient books. Innovations in exhibitions and the development of cultural and creative products aim to better meet the public's needs. The surge in popularity of museums and art galleries has emerged as a notable phenomenon and social trend. Significant strides are being made in the systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), with progress in promoting the identification of the sixth batch of national representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage and the announcement of 10 national-level cultural and ecological reserves. Activities such as International Museum Day, Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, and events such as "Sharing Tea and Cultural Heritage With the World" have been organized. We have actively promoted the inclusion of the Central Axis of Beijing and the Spring Festival as World Heritage, while efforts to list the "Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er" on the World Heritage List have increased China's count of World Heritage Sites to 57.

Third, we maintained a people-centric approach to promoting tourism and met people's demands for better lives through tourism development. The general office of the State Council issued measures for releasing tourism consumption potential and achieving sound tourism development. The MCT also rolled out a series of policies and measures to enrich quality tourism products. We promoted tourism among the general public, promoted smart tourism and green tourism, and advocated for civilized tourist behavior. We compiled a directory of tourism resources at the highest grade in China, tried to incubate smart tourism projects that provide immersive experiences and organized promotional activities to encourage proper tourist behavior. We implemented a program to boost rural tourism and, as a result, eight villages have been listed as "best tourism villages" by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), highlighting a typical case of how the culture and tourism sector has empowered rural revitalization. We advanced public services for tourism, enhancing the construction and management of scenic paths and tourist toilets and improving roads, parking, telecommunications, and tour guide services, among other measures, to offer added convenience and benefits to the public. We carried out activities to celebrate China Tourism Day and promote domestic tourism as well as hosted expos such as the China International Travel Mart. We propelled the integrated development of culture and tourism, boosted intangible heritage tourism, tourism with educational purposes, city walks, and tourism performances, and established national demonstration areas for the integrated development of the cultural industry and tourism. 

Fourth, we stayed firmly rooted in Chinese culture while promoting exchange and mutual learning between different civilizations in order to widely spread Chinese culture and expand its influence. We implemented the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) and organized art performances at the China-Central Asia Summit, the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and other important state occasions. We organized year-round cultural and tourism activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Spain. We hosted the first Liangzhu Forum, the Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous, and performances to remember the Philadelphia Orchestra's visit to China 50 years ago. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the forum and replied to letters from the participating artists. We established the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia, hosted the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) Xianghu Dialogue, and actively took part in formulating international norms. We advanced the "Cultural Silk Road" program, hosted activities to celebrate the Spring Festival, and shared China's tea culture with people around the world, promoting Chinese culture and tourism resources all around. We resumed Chinese citizens' group tours to 138 countries operated by domestic travel agencies and online tourism enterprises. We carried out the "Nihao China" promotional campaign to boost China's tourism globally and drove the recovery of inbound and outbound travel. 

In the new era, we will strive to fulfill our new missions. We will thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, fully implement the essence of the 20th CPC National Congress, and maintain stability while pursuing progress with our work. We will fully implement the new development philosophy, making no mistakes, quickly shape a new development paradigm and promote high-quality development. Guided by core socialist values, we will continue to enhance the creation of cultural artworks and the provision of outstanding cultural and tourism products to meet people's cultural needs with enriched products and boost their moral strength. We will promote the integrated development of culture and tourism, and widely spread Chinese culture and expand its influence with the aim to achieve more solid outcomes in enhancing China's cultural strength and spurring the sound development of the culture and tourism sector.

At this press conference, I'd like to express my gratitude to the journalists and concerned people who have long been supportive of our work in the culture and tourism sector. Now, my colleagues and I are ready to take questions. Thank you!

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Lu. The floor is open for questions. Please identify the news outlet you represent before raising questions. 

Xinhua News Agency:

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress called for the "production of more outstanding works that inspire the people." What measures has the MCT taken to encourage the creation and production of outstanding works? Thank you.

Lu Yingchuan:

The cultural and artistic achievements of an era are evaluated by the works created during that time. The MCT has always focused on enhancing the creation and production of artworks, fostering the creation of more outstanding works, and boosting the sound development of culture and art. Over the years, we have adopted a series of measures to cultivate more outstanding works of stagecraft. 

First, we have made more efforts regarding planning and guidance. To implement the art creation plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we devised an action plan for stagecraft and artistic creation from 2023 to 2025 to better guide the selection of creative subjects and clarify priority tasks and objectives, covering the creation of new plays, old classics, and relatively short plays. Many outstanding stage artworks were created under the guidance of the action plan, which covers theater, traditional opera, music, stagecraft, quyi (Chinese folk performance arts), acrobatics, and many other art forms. 

Second, we have improved the promotion mechanism and strengthened our efforts in launching major projects. We launched a series of projects to promote the production of high-quality artworks in the new era. In particular, we focused on major topics and adopted various methods to stimulate the creativity of literary and art troupes, such as being directly responsible for those projects which get straight to the point, staying current with projects and providing guidance, and identifying great works and paying close attention to them. We also provided special support for key areas and weak links. This includes implementing a plan to support the creation of excellent stage productions, a project to promote the inheritance and development of Chinese national opera, a plan to support the creation of Chinese symphonies and national orchestral works, and projects to support the creation of scripts and fine arts. These measures aim to support projects that will have a demonstration effect and improve originality in art. A batch of new or revised artworks have been launched under these guidance plans, including the Peking Opera "The Protagonist," the opera "Minning Town ," the dance drama "Wing Chun," and the Kunqu Opera "The Peony Pavilion." These works have received praise from a wide range of audiences.

Third, we have strengthened policy guidance and leveraged the China National Arts Fund to support and sponsor a wide array of performances in various forms. The China National Arts Fund has been instrumental in supporting approximately 700 performances each year, encompassing art forms such as traditional opera, drama, dance, acrobatics, and activities related to communication, exchange, and talent development. Established a decade ago, the China National Arts Fund has provided support and funding for a total of 7,116 programs over the years. More than 80% of award-winning productions at prestigious events like the Splendor Award and the Best Works Award have received support from the China National Arts Fund, which has proved to be a great success. Besides the China National Arts Fund, over 20 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across the country have established their own arts funds or special funds, contributing significantly to the creation of stage productions and fine arts.

Fourth, we have established platforms for communication and exchange. Producing excellent artworks is not enough; they also need to be effectively promoted. By organizing various performances and art events, we have extended the reach of stage artworks to both urban and rural areas, engaging the general public. In addition to promoting on-site performances, we have made progress in livestreaming these events online. To further the production and development of fine artworks, and to have them passed down from generation to generation in particular, we have intensified our efforts in talent development. By nurturing and cultivating talent, especially training a variety of leading figures in literature and art, including playwrights, directors, composers, and performers, we have ignited literary and art workers' creativity and passion. These measures have yielded significant results.

In the next step, we will continue to implement such policies and measures, working to introduce more high-quality works and present them to a broader audience. Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald:

Since the beginning of this year, the tourism industry has experienced rapid recovery, and the resurgence of the thriving tourism sector has been remarkable. What policies and measures will be taken to further unlock the potential of tourism consumption and promote high-quality development of the industry? Thank you.

Du Jiang:

China's tourism market has experienced a remarkable surge this year. In the first three quarters, figures showed that the domestic tourism sector recorded 3.67 billion visits and generated revenue of 3.7 trillion yuan. This represents year-on-year increases of 75% and 114%, respectively. The demand for tourism among residents has significantly increased, leading to a substantial rise in travel activities. This surge has not only stimulated consumer spending in the sector but also played a role in driving economic recovery.

Next, the MCT will fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, focusing on stimulating consumer spending in cultural and tourism sectors, improving people's well-being, and better meeting their needs. Efforts will be made in the following areas:

First, we will optimize the policy environment and address bottlenecks and challenges. In line with new developments in the tourism industry, we will implement the "Measures for Releasing Potential of Tourism Consumption and Promoting High-Quality Development of the Tourism Industr y" issued by the General Office of the State Council. We will take comprehensive actions from both the supply and demand sides to boost confidence in tourism investment and consumption. We are advancing a three-year action plan to improve domestic tourism. This involves enriching the supply of high-quality tourism products, enhancing tourism services, regulating the tourism market, strengthening tourism safety measures, and developing quality tourist destinations with a hospitable atmosphere. Additionally, the ministry is formulating a three-year plan to boost inbound travel, aiming to provide tourists visiting China with more high-quality tourism products and more convenient services.

Second, we will promote the integrated development of industries and improve the supply of new products. We will strive for the in-depth integration of the cultural sector and the tourism industry to improve cultural taste and nurture minds. We will foster new forms and models of consumer spending, launching more "small yet charming" projects for entertainment activities, as well as providing more appealing music events, such as music festivals and concerts. We will promote the healthy development of new business forms, such as scripted role-play games and tourism performances, and we will also make stepped-up efforts to promote the integrated development of tourism and various industries, such as the food, performance, sports, and wellness sectors, as well as traditional Chinese medicine. By doing so, tourists will have more opportunities to feel the charm of Chinese culture, cultivate their tastes, enjoy their lives, and improve their health. 

Third, we will ensure the establishment of platforms and policies to serve the people better. We will strive for the construction of new brands, including the national pilot cities for cultural and tourism consumption, the national-level tourist resorts and 5A-level scenic areas, as well as the national-level pilot cultural and tourism night consumption clusters. We will help local governments create more consumption scenarios and foster new forms and models of consumer spending. More policies to benefit the people will be put in place, and actions to provide financial support for cultural and tourism consumption will be implemented in around a hundred of cities and areas. We will continue to hold national activities to promote cultural and tourism consumption and strengthen promotions and marketing so as to stimulate people's willingness to spend on cultural and tourism products, which will ultimately boost market entities' recovery and development. Thank you.  

Yicai:

The domestic cultural and tourism market has been recovering rapidly this year, and people have a strong desire to travel. What measures has the MCT taken to meet the strong travel demand of the people? Thank you. 

Du Jiang:

The entire tourism market has entered a fast track to recovery and development since the beginning of this year. The MCT has continued to improve the quality of tourism products and innovated the supply of tourism products. We have strengthened supply-demand matchmaking and stimulated consumption potential in order to meet people's demand for diversified and high-quality travel needs and boost expanding domestic demand.

First, we have strengthened the implementation of policies and planning so as to provide a sound policy foundation for high-quality supply. We have implemented the development plan for the tourism sector during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the Outline for National Tourism and Leisure Development (2022-2030), and the document on further unleashing the potential of tourism consumption and facilitating the high-quality development of tourism. We have worked with relevant ministries and commissions to jointly issue a series of policies and documents, such as the tourism development plan for northeast China, the plan to boost the integrated development of public transport services and tourism in urban and rural areas, the plan to promote the coordinated and innovative development of 5G plus smart tourism, and the plan for promoting the high-quality development of rural tourism with more financial support. Moreover, we have also made great efforts to advance the construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou sports, cultural, and tourism belt in a coordinated way. 

Second, we have made great efforts to improve the quality of tourism products in a bid to meet people's tourism demands with high-quality supply. We have improved the product ranges of "urban leisure" and "rural vacation" and promoted the balanced development of sightseeing tourism and leisure vacations through initiatives such as brand establishment, standard review, and pilot demonstrations. There are 14,900 A-level scenic areas, more than 700 national- and provincial-level tourist resorts, 111 national-level blocks serving tourism and leisure, 243 national-level night cultural and tourism consumption clusters, 142 national tourism demonstration industrial parks, and 1,597 key villages and towns for rural tourism across the country. Moreover, eight key villages and towns, such as Yucun village in Zhejiang province, as Mr. Lu mentioned previously, have been named the best tourism villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. In addition, solid gains have been made in pilot projects to promote the integrated development of red tourism. 

Third, we have made great efforts to ensure the supply of products in an innovative way, creating tourism demand with a new type of supply. We developed new tourism products and business forms featuring camping, ice and snow, and sports, as well as maritime tourism and art performances, establishing seven national-level ski resorts, 22 national 5C- and 4C-level self-drive campsites – the third batch of its kind – and 13 national-level demonstration bases for sports tourism, as well as 24 pilot programs to establish smart tourism sites, providing immersive experience services and 40 high-quality programs for art performances. We also unveiled a variety of themed tourist routes, including 10 national-level Yangtze River-themed routes, 10 routes for self-driving tourists in China, over 400 rural tourism routes, and "Reading Li Bai and Traveling across China" themed tourist routes, as well as themed tourist routes centered around Chinese tea culture and more. We organized activities to ensure a diversified supply to meet the demands of consumers. The MCT has worked with five other departments, including the Ministry of Transport, to jointly unveil the first group of 46 exemplars that have bolstered the integrated development of transport and tourism, which are designed to boost the development of new products and new business forms in transport and tourism sectors. Thank you.

China Media Group:

Last December, General Secretary Xi Jinping gave important instructions on the ICH protection. He urged solid efforts to advance systematic ICH protection. What achievements have been made so far in this regard? What considerations do you have for the next step to promote systematic ICH protection? Thank you.

Lu Yingchuan:

Thank you for your questions and your care regarding China's ICH protection and inheritance. The CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to this work, making a series of decisions and plans, and introducing a series of major policies and measures. First of all, I would like to introduce the ICH status in China. Currently, China has more than 100,000 ICH items at all levels, including 1,557 national-level ones, and has more than 90,000 ICH inheritors at all levels, including 3,056 national-level ones. So far, 43 items of the country have been added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, making unique contributions to global cultural diversity. 

The CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to ICH protection and inheritance, and we have implemented a series of policies and measures and accomplished several important achievements in this regard.

First, a comprehensive system of ICH protection and inheritance has been established. An ICH listing system, an accreditation system, and an evaluation system have been built for both ICH items and ICH inheritors, effectively advancing ICH protection and inheritance.

Second, we have continued to find new channels and means to protect and inherit ICH. Apart from ICH items and ICH inheritors, there are ICH centers, ICH workshops, national (pilot) cultural reserves, and ICH protection through production pilots, etc. For instance, China has built more than 6,700 ICH workshops, some of which are located in counties lifted out of poverty and key counties receiving assistance for rural revitalization. This approach plays a very significant role in pursuing rural revitalization. Also, China has built 23 national (pilot) cultural reserves and 100 production pilots under state-level protection. These have vigorously promoted ICH protection and inheritance. 

Third, ICH innovative development has been robust. We all have a strong impression that there is a vibrant, rich, and varied market for ICH-inspired cultural and creative products. A market-based approach is the most effective way to inherit ICH. The development of new products has not only promoted the inheritance of fine craftsmanship but also given consumers better access to ICH.

Fourth, extensive activities have been launched to promote ICH. For example, we have held a variety of exhibitions and festivals to increase public awareness of ICH and arouse people's enthusiasm for ICH protection and inheritance. "Intangible Cultural Heritage in China," a program jointly produced by the MCT and China Media Group, has produced extensive social impact and effectively advanced ICH protection and inheritance.

Next, we will continue to implement these important measures. Following the requirement of systematic ICH protection, we will step up efforts to improve the policy and regulation system, ICH listing system, theoretical research system, talent pool system, and publicity and promotion system. More efforts will also be made to construct facilities for ICH inheritance and experience and conduct ICH protection through digitalization. By doing so, we will better protect and inherit ICH and make greater contributions to China's cultural prosperity and cultural strength. Thank you.

Phoenix TV:

What has been done by the MCT to implement the GCI and introduce Chinese culture abroad? What are the following considerations? Thank you.

Gao Zheng:

Thank you for your questions. The GCI, proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, has received positive responses from many countries. The work on cultural and tourism exchanges is a crucial part of practicing the GCI. The MCT mainly carried out work in three aspects.

First, we have promoted dialogue on civilizations and built international consensus. We held art performances at the China-Central Asia Summit and the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. We hosted the "Silk Road: Artists Rendezvous - Joint Exhibition by Renowned Arab and Chinese Artists" and the Sino-Arab Artists Salon in Egypt. In Spain, we held the opening ceremony of the China-Spain Year of Culture and Tourism, an exhibition of the legacy of the Qin and Han dynasties, and an exhibition of paintings from the Song Dynasty as part of the Great Collection of Chinese Paintings project, which have been very well received locally. We hosted the first Liangzhu Forum, organized lectures on China's stories at the China Cultural Center in over 40 countries, and invited scholars from over 40 countries to China to participate in the youth sinologists program. In addition, we signed the Joint Statement between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the PRC and the Secretariat General of the League of Arab States on Implementing the Global Civilization Initiative.

Second, we have employed cultural symbols to demonstrate the charm of civilization. In 2023, about 500 "Happy Chinese New Year" activities have been held in over 100 countries and regions globally, covering nearly 20 million people, with programs on the internet and TV reaching more than 5 billion people. The mascot "Lucky Bunny," introduced for the first time, has proven very popular. To celebrate the International Tea Day, we organized the "Tea for Harmony" Yaji Cultural Salon in 47 countries around the world, telling stories about the culture, science and technology, and industries behind Chinese tea. We organized a "Finest Cultural Gifts from China" cultural and tourism trade promotion activity, propelling products and services, including porcelain, musical instruments, and art performances, into international markets.

Third, we have deepened cooperation on art to foster closer bonds between peoples. At the beginning of this year, we hosted two concerts in the US themed "Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems." Fifteen youth singers from 10 countries performed together with the Philadelphia Orchestra and sang songs composed based on well-known poems in Chinese from the Tang Dynasty, achieving the perfect integration of Chinese elements with international expression. In November, the Philadelphia Orchestra came to China at our invitation to hold a concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of its first visit to China and performed with artists from many countries to interpret classic poems from the Tang Dynasty. We also held a tour of chamber concerts themed "Melody of the Orient" at the China Cultural Center in Brussels, Paris, and other overseas cities, and artists from European countries such as Belgium praised the Chinese spirit in the new era with music. Cooperating with the Egyptian tourism department, we held a China-Egypt music concert at the historical site of Giza Pyramids in Cairo, promoting closer ties between the peoples by singing. 

Next, we will continue to make every effort to implement the GCI, strengthen cooperation with UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization, and provide more and better public good to the international community. We will continue to implement the "Cultural Silk Road" program, and carry out training, seminars, joint creations, and other projects. We will promote cooperation on tourism with other countries, improve the facilitation of inbound tourism, and carry out the "Nihao China" national tourism image promotion campaign, attracting more foreigners to come to China to experience the charm of Chinese culture and cementing popular support for the implementation of the GCI. Thank you!

Hong Kong Bauhinia Magazine：

Public cultural services make up an important part of people's expectations for a better life. Since the 20th CPC National Congress, what work has been done by the MCT to develop modern public cultural services? Thank you.

Chen Binbin:

Thank you for your question. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress emphasized that we will improve the modern system of public cultural services and launch new public-benefit cultural programs. This year, the MCT has fully implemented the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, followed a people-centered approach, taken pursuing high-quality development as our overarching task, and made efforts to provide higher quality, more efficient, fairer, and more sustainable public cultural services. Our work mainly includes the following three aspects. 

Firstly, we have continued to promote the integrated development of urban and rural public cultural services. To narrow the gap between urban and rural areas, we have given priority to providing standardized and equal access to basic public cultural services, implemented national standards for basic public services, and continued to advance a headquarters-branch system for county-level cultural centers and libraries. There are now more than 100,000 branches and service centers at the community level. As you can see, in addition to traditional public cultural facilities, new types of public cultural spaces have also arisen, such as the "city study rooms" in Zhejiang and the "reading bars" in Guangdong. These new public cultural spaces are aesthetically pleasing and well-designed, and they feature many cultural elements as well as flexible operations. At present, the number of new public cultural spaces has surpassed 33,500, and these spaces have become the cultural living room for the people. This year, we launched a publicity week for public library and cultural center services, enabling greater public knowledge of and access to traditional cultural facilities and cultural organizations. We have, together with the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the National Development and Reform Commission, released 51 cases of high-quality public cultural services development at the community level.

Second, we have carried out a wide range of cultural activities to benefit the public. This year, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, we launched the "Songs of the Earth Rural Cultural Events Year." We organized 12 main events and over 80 demonstration activities nationwide. For example, the "Village Gala" used to be held during the Spring Festival, now it is held throughout the year, becoming the "Village Gala in Four Seasons" during the slack season of agricultural production. Another example is square dancing, the most popular cultural activity among Chinese people. According to statistics, more than 120 million people have participated. This year, we organized the National Public Square Dance Competition and held six regional shows based on performances from various locations. We also hosted the Square Dance Night event in Guiyang, Guizhou province. This led to more than 24,000 square dance events being held across the country, with over 110 million people participating both online and offline. Additionally, we launched the "Deep Love for the Earth" national tour of outstanding mass art performances and the Beijing showcase event, as well as the "Hometowns of Chinese Folk Art" exchange and exhibition activities. Nowadays, ordinary people play leading roles in mass cultural events. According to our statistics, the number of registered mass art teams has surpassed 460,000, and this number continues to grow.

Third, we have innovated the system and mechanisms for public cultural services. Public cultural services are no longer solely led or provided by the government. We actively promote an open and shared framework, supporting the extensive participation of social forces in public cultural services through government procurement and the establishment of supply-demand matching platforms. In collaboration with the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, we have innovatively launched the "Spring Rain Project" – cultural and tourism volunteers' trip to the border areas. We introduced 364 volunteer service projects, enabling a large number of high-quality cultural and tourism resources to flow to border areas and areas with large ethnic minority populations through voluntary and public welfare activities. We have implemented the national cultural digitization strategy, coordinating the development of the national smart library system and the construction of the public cultural cloud. This promotes the integrated development of excellent traditional Chinese culture and public cultural services. Furthermore, we have innovatively implemented the plan for the preservation of ancient books, issued guidelines for the classification of ancient books, formulated talent training programs for ancient books preservation, and strengthened the revitalization and utilization of ancient books.

Next, we will continue to improve the top-level institutional design for public cultural services. We will focus on constructing public cultural service platforms and promoting the extensive development of mass cultural activities. These efforts will lay a solid foundation for the common prosperity of people's intellectual and cultural lives. Thank you.

Economic Daily:

The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to improving the business environment. We would like to ask what the MCT has done to improve the business environment and maintain market order? Thank you.

Du Jiang:

Thank you for your attention to the business environment and market order in the cultural and tourism sectors. This issue is of great concern to various parties as it directly affects the interests of businesses and consumers. In recent years, the MCT has fully implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. We have continuously broadened market access, developed new ways of regulation and supervision, and worked to create a market-oriented and law-based business environment in keeping with international standards. These efforts stimulate the vitality of the cultural and tourism market and promote the industry's high-quality development. Specifically, we have undertaken the following work:

First, we have broadened market access and continuously unleashed policy dividends. We fully implement the negative list system and the system of fair competition review, delegating the power of government review on a batch of items and reasonably reducing the length of time for government approval. We have promoted the reform of security deposits for tourism service quality, providing travel agencies with more working capital. We have implemented the notification commitment system to establish travel agencies in free trade zones. We have promoted electronic licenses in cultural and tourism markets and fully implemented online administrative approval. We have ensured that more high-demand government services are accessible on cellphone applications and further promoted the government service evaluation system, aiming to streamline administrative procedures and enhance the quality of services.

Second, we have explored the formulation of inclusive and prudent policies for new business forms to boost market confidence. You may have noticed that over a certain period, a host of new business forms have emerged in culture and tourism. Adhering to a problem-oriented approach defined by prudent inclusiveness, we have introduced regulatory policies for new business forms such as script entertainment and esports hotels. These policies are tailored to the characteristics of the industries, incorporating a transition period to create an inclusive, stable, and predictable policy environment. This allows ample room for these new business forms to grow and thrive. We have optimized relevant policies and supported the development of new business forms such as new performance spaces, immersive performances, online shows, and tourism homestays. In this way, we have stimulated fresh consumption scenarios, expanded new consumption spaces, and enriched a new consumption experience. 

Third, we have innovated targeted and effective regulations to continually enhance regulatory effectiveness. Sticking to law-based administration, we have formulated and revised a number of policies and regulations on commercial performances, cultural and entertainment activities, and online tourism management. We have also adopted regulations for credit management in the culture and tourism market, and constantly refined related policies and regulations. We have innovated the targeted and effective management systems such as content source management and the list of prohibited cultural products. We have promoted cross-departmental supervision, "internet plus supervision", and credit supervision in order to continuously enhance regulatory effectiveness.

At the same time, we have attached great importance to the order of the culture and tourism market, responded promptly to the public complaints, and identified and addressed a number of issues in the culture and tourism market. We have launched a series of special law enforcement campaigns to maintain the market order effectively.  

First, we have deployed a series of targeted rectification campaigns to enhance law enforcement and regulation. In response to the rapidly recovering market, we have planned in advance a series of special law enforcement initiatives to address key issues such as ticketing in the performance market and forced shopping in the tourism market. Since the beginning of this year, we have successively carried out targeted rectification campaigns against problems concerning script entertainment, ticketing of commercial performances, and a hundred-day campaign to rectify the order of the tourism market, among others. Statistics show that in the first 11 months of this year, national comprehensive law enforcement agencies for the culture market deployed law enforcement personnel 9.988 million times, conducted 3.348 million inspections, and processed 41,000 cases, effectively upholding the culture and tourism market order.

Second, we have ensured key cases are handled in accordance with the law to create an effective deterrence. Targeted actions have been taken against cases such as e-commerce platforms facilitating ticket scalping for performances, commercial performance activities and art exhibitions containing illegal content, and the organization of minors to participate in performances detrimental to their physical and mental health, among others. In response to illegal business activities in the tourism market, including the designation of specific shopping places and operating travel agencies without a license, key provinces have been deployed to make concentrated efforts to address such cases. This focused approach has guided relevant regions to lawfully handle a number of significant cases with timely public disclosures. 

Since the beginning of this year, the MCT has guided local culture and tourism departments to deal with some typical cases in accordance with the law, including content violations, failure to meet performance obligations, forced shopping in tourist areas, tour guides threatening tourists, and travel agencies breaking contracts. The results of these cases were made public in a timely manner. This has increased legal awareness and deterred various kinds of illegal activities.

Going forward, the MCT will continue to strengthen comprehensive law enforcement and regulation in the culture and tourism market. We will take solid steps to advance a series of law enforcement actions and crack down on illegal activities to ensure an orderly culture and tourism market. Thank you.

China News Service:

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress explicitly outlines the implementation of a national cultural digitalization strategy . How has the MCT worked towards this goal, and what progress has been made? What's the next plans in this regard? Thank you.

Lu Yingchuan:

Thank you for your question. Implementing the national cultural digitization strategy is a major strategic plan proposed by the CPC Central Committee. It is of great significance for turning China into a country with a strong culture, building cultural confidence and strength, promoting high-quality development, and enhancing cultural soft power and the appeal of Chinese culture. The MCT has thoroughly implemented the major national strategy of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and has successively launched a series of important measures to promote the implementation of the cultural digitization strategy. Our work has mainly focused on the following aspects:

First, we have accelerated the pace of digitization of cultural resources and promoted its digital development and transformation. This includes cultural relics, classics and various types of artworks. For example, among the over 1.86 million cultural relics that are preserved by the renowned Palace Museum, 900,000 sets of them have been digitized, accounting for about 48% of the total. The National Museum of China has about 1.43 million items/sets, of which 700,000 have been digitized, accounting for about 49%. The National Art Museum of China has a collection of about 130,000 pieces/sets, of which almost 100,000 have been digitized, accounting for about 76.9%. The National Library of China has approximately 3.17 million volumes of ancient books, of which 610,000 have currently been digitized, accounting for approximately 19.3%. By vigorously advancing the digitization of cultural resources and the development and transformation of digital products, we can lay a solid foundation for better utilization and display of cultural resources.

Second, we have vigorously advanced the application of digital technology and cultivated and developed new business formats. For example, in the field of stage art, we have vigorously promoted the integration of online and in-person performances, and encouraged the use of internet and other digital technologies to create a "second theater." For example, the National Peking Opera Company's annual Spring Festival show "Dragon and Phoenix" has been held for three consecutive years, as well as the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater's "Dancing in Spring" and the National Theater of China's special stage art digital products "The Age of Heroes" and "Literature and Arts During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression." Through such methods, digital transformation has been achieved, which has greatly assisted cultural communication. Every year, our "Literary China" New Year special program is launched online and has received very positive responses. In addition to the field of stage arts, we have also strongly promoted the development of immersive experience formats in the field of tourism and cultivated new cultural and tourism formats, which have achieved very good results.

Third, we have strengthened the supply of digital content for public cultural services and enhanced the digital service capabilities of cultural services. This includes promoting the construction of smart library systems and public cultural cloud systems. At present, in addition to the national public cultural cloud, there are public cultural clouds in more than 200 places, with a total resource volume of more than 1,530 TB. This has played a very important role in promoting reading and popularizing art nationwide, and developing digital public cultural services.

Fourth, we have utilized digitization to improve the communication efficiency of culture and art and promote tourism development. We have used digital technology to empower the dissemination of culture and art, promoted continuous improvement of tourism service management, and actively promoted online exhibitions, such as "Digital Dunhuang" and "Digital Forbidden City," which have been well-received by the public. These measures have played an important role in promoting the implementation of the national cultural digitization strategy and achieved good results.

Going forward, we will continue to focus our work on the following four aspects:

First, we will continue to focus on the construction of digital cultural resources and accelerate the pace of digitization for these resources. Second, we will strengthen cultural originality, develop more digital products and continuously increase the supply of digital cultural content. Third, we will continue to promote the application of digital technology in cultural and artistic production, public cultural services, cultural heritage protection and inheritance, tourism services and management, and tourism development. Through digitization, we can foster new cultural formats, products and models to better meet and serve people's needs. Fourth, we will actively build a regulatory framework for digital culture. We will work to establish rules and regulations for market entry, market supervision, product certification, intellectual property protection and security in the digital cultural sector to ensure the implementation of the national cultural digitization strategy and promote the healthy development of digitization.

By promoting the implementation of the national cultural digitization strategy, we will definitely promote the continuous improvement, upgrading and efficiency of culture, art and tourism, thus contribute to high-quality development. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you to all the speakers and friends from the media. Today's press conference is hereby concluded. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Yan Bin, Li Huiru, Xu Xiaoxuan, Liu Qiang, Xu Kailin, Yuan Fang, Li Xiao, He Shan, Gong Yingchun, Wang Yiming, Cui Can, Wang Wei, Ma Yujia, Liu Sitong, Wang Qian, Huang Shan, Liu Caiyi, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.