With the price of artistic performances staged by foreign troupes in China about ten times that of Chinese performances staged overseas, the nation is endeavoring to reduce the cultural trade deficit by boosting the competitiveness of its artistic exports.

According to a 2008 United Nations report, China exported the largest number of cultural productions as early as 2005, making up about one fifth of the global market.

But data shows revenue from Chinese commercial performances staged overseas is less than US$100 million a year, which is less than the annual revenue of one well-known foreign circus.

Although the number of exported Chinese cultural products increases year on year, the trade deficit in the sector persists.

Wu Huanqing, a long-time observer of China's cultural industry, said the deficit has long existed and can be traced back to the beginning of the reform and opening-up.

"For historical reasons, China didn't attach much importance to -- or even ignored -- trade in cultural products. From ordinary people to government officials, cultural products were regarded as something ideological and non-tradable - not products that could make up an industry," he said.

"When one culture is relatively weak, stronger ones will invade it and bring about a cultural trade deficit. In history, many western countries also suffered such 'cultural aggression'," he said.

Wu said export channels for Chinese cultural products are limited, and the prices received are far lower than what imported foreign cultural products - films, books and stage performances - sell for in China.

Chinese cultural exports' competitiveness must be improved in order to vie with their foreign counterparts, Wu added.

The value of Chinese cultural-product exports was about US$9.4 billion between January and November 2009, statistics show. The ratio of book imports to book exports, for example, was 9 to 1 in 2003. But that had narrowed to 3.4 to 1 in 2009.

Tony Stimac, president of U.S.-based Musical Theater Works International, noted modern art forms are relatively mature in the West and that trade unions exists for artists in the West - "So the prices are much higher, about 10 times Chinese prices."

But he said the price for Chinese cultural products will increase gradually as quality improves - "There is an international standard to all of these performing arts events. And as China gets used to competing at that level, the prices that they charge for their performances will grow."

Stimac said the nature of art forms is also a factor affecting profits.

"Opera, ballet and concerts have short runs, but Broadway musicals can be performed thousands of times and last up to 20 years. 'Mamma Mia' and 'Cats' have been performed in cities all over the world, earning a lot of money," he said.

"It is like movies, which are more popular than the theater. More people go to the movies than the theater. But there are exceptions, such as musicals 'Cats' and 'Mamma Mia', which made more money than 'Star Wars'," he said.

Stimac said due to the influence of China and Asia, original Chinese musicals will be the next performing art form out of China to enjoy worldwide popularity.

"Because of China's new prominence in the world and people's great interest in China, audiences will want to see more, and not just acrobatics and Kungfu.

"People are very curious about China, and you know it was closed for many years, and suddenly the country rose up economically to a dominant place. So we want to know about China and the way we will learn is when China's stories are told to us," he said.

Wu said one of the tasks to reform China's cultural sector is to "encourage leading cultural enterprises to make products that are suitable to the global market, so the country can establish its own brand and spread the charm of Chinese culture worldwide."

He said cultural productions will enhance China's international image.

"We should make art products that change the stereotypes that took hold after misleading publicity."

Chinese artistic products should faithfully show off the brand new China that is "on the road to revival," he said, adding that they should also be a platform for the nation's "soft power."