More than 19,000 new plays were staged by China's artistic troupes
between 1998 and 2001 as a result of the rapid development of
China's cultural sector.
Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng told a national conference on
Friday that, over the past five years, China has invested nearly
6.8 billion yuan (US$819.6 million) in Chinese artistic
troupes.
Since 1998, Chinese people have had the opportunity to view nearly
418,000 play performances annually, and total profits from all
stage play performances in 2001 reached 574 million yuan (US$70
million), said Sun.
Sun said the Chinese government had also increased funding to
explore markets for cultural products in the western regions and in
minority population areas.
A
total of 400 million yuan (US$48.3 million) has been spent on
building libraries and cultural palaces in China's western regions,
and a cultural information project for China's central and western
areas was also launched in 2001, said Sun.
Statistics show that from 1998 to 2001, the Chinese government
invested nearly 5.2 billion yuan (US$622.7 million) in the
construction of libraries throughout the country. It spent another
4.6 billion yuan (US$561 million) on the development of the
civilian cultural sector, in addition to the funding to increase
the number of artistic performances.
According to the ministry, during the period from 1998 to
2000,China spent 130 million yuan annually for the protection of
the country's historical relics, and the number of China's key
cultural relic protection units has increased from 750 to
1,268.
China has also closed 277 shops dealing in audio and video
products, so as to maintain the proper balance and domestic markets
for cultural products, said the ministry.
In
2002, China succeeded in establishing cultural centers in France
and Egypt, a sign of improved cultural exchange with overseas
countries.
The ministry plans to establish additional Chinese cultural centers
in the Republic of Korea, Germany, Britain, Russia and Japan.
(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2003)