Shanghai Municipal Government Press Conference Memo (September 20, 2006)
22/9/2006 16:14
1. What's the status of the cultural industry in Shanghai's general
economic structure?
A: Last year, Shanghai's cultural industry continued to
grow at a pace faster than the average local economic growth, with revenues of
208.101 billion yuan (US$26.2 billion) and the added value of 50.923 billion
yuan, up 13 percent and 13.2 percent from a year before respectively. The 13.2
percent growth was 2.1 percentage points higher than the local GDP growth and
the added value accounted for 5.6 percent of the GDP, up 0.1 percentage point
from the previous year, with a 6.5 percent contribution to the city's economic
growth. Based on the above data, the cultural industry is playing a more
important role in the local economic situation.
2. How is the
cultural industry being classified?
A: The cultural industry is made up of
two parts: cultural service and relevant industries. Last year, the cultural
service industry accounted for 60 percent of the added value and the relevant
sectors kept the balance. The cultural service industry covers six categories:
press/publishing/copyright services (including press service, book/newspaper
publishing and audio/electronic publishing products), broadcasting/TV/movie
services, cultural arts services (including cultural arts formation and
performance/performance sites, cultural protection & cultural facility
service, public cultural activities, cultural research & community service),
Internet service, cultural entertainment services (including tourism and
entertainment services) and other cultural services (including advertising &
exhibitions, cultural arts commercial agent service, cultural product leasing
and auction services). The relevant cultural services cover two categories: the
production of cultural articles, equipment and relevant products and the sales
of these products.
3. The local cultural service trade was
previously unbalanced, with imports far exceeding exports. Was this trade
deficit eased last year?
A: The trade deficit was relieved last year, with
copyright exports of books and electronic publishing seeing rapid growth. A
total of 354 copyrights were exported last year, up by 96, or 37.2 percent from
a year earlier. Some 221 arts performances and exhibitions were held overseas
last year, with revenues of 16.67 million yuan. Publishing service exports
turned in 1.35 billion yuan last year.
4. How is the private
investment situation in the local cultural industry?
A: Last year, Shanghai's
cultural industry authority issued a series of policies and guidelines to
encourage non-public investments. The further opening of the cultural market has
driven up the enthusiasm of private investors. By the end of last year, 186
institutions owned business licenses for broadcasting and TV program production,
with 159 privately-owned; 85 business arts performance troupes with 43
privately-owned; and 157 performance agencies, with 78 percent privately-run.
The private-based economy has played a major role in entertainment sites such as
net-caf¨¦s and other Internet services.
5. How does the establishment
of a public cultural system boost the cultural industry?
A: The establishment
of a public cultural system has played an important role in boosting the city's
cultural industry, which has been enhanced by government sourcing to the
development of the industry. The acceleration of the establishment of community
cultural activity centers, cultural information stations, museums and libraries
has created more jobs and has driven up the demand for books, audio products,
movies and Internet services. Last year, public-welfare cultural protection and
equipment services, cultural activities of the public, cultural research and
community services registered revenues of 2.35 billion yuan, with the added
value of 1.24 billion yuan, covering four percent of the whole cultural service
sector.
6. How accurate are the statistics in the cultural
industry?
A: The existing calculation is based on the national standard. It's
been largely improved from before, but still has some problems. For example, the
statistics in certain industries are comparatively complete and standard, while
not so complete citywide. The data is not complete enough to indicate the actual
situation. Some entertainment sites such as net cafes are very small so the
statistics can only be taken from the reports of business-owners themselves,
with business revenues and the number of workers undervalued. Such problems are
being solved now.
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