By Erik Nilsson (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-07-12 14:35

"Western cultural products have shallow roots among Chinese, whereas East Asian products are more likely to flourish because they are culturally similar, with shared history of thousands of years and codes of representation, styles of expression that are less individualistic and more holistic, and an intermingling of stars and producers."

Wang Zhidong, founder of China's largest web portal Sina.com and CEO of Beijing Dianji Technology, says the IT industry was perhaps the first sector in China to start moving beyond foreign influence.

"The IT industry has been the most rapidly and thoroughly globalized industry because it was influenced by the international IT industry." This came about through a process of purchasing, simulating, reconstructing, localizing and innovating upon foreign IT products, he explains.

But Keane warns that even though "in China, Internet-based digital content industries are leading the way, there's no guarantee of a golden future".

Many Chinese and outside observers agree that the country's education system could become one of the greatest obstacles to the development of the country's creative industry. "The test-oriented education system is the killer," says eminent photographer Chen Man.

With the economic miracle continuing, China should do something to foster creative industry in order to sustain its development, Chen says. "Creative industry grows along with a society's economy. China's economy is growing at an incredible rate, so too is the need for creativity."

      1   2   3     

      1   2   3