Cultural and creative industries in China

Cultural and creative industries are today recognised as an important area in the promotion of economic growth and innovation. In Western countries of them appreciation emerged two decades ago. In China, the development has been slower, but recently these industries are included in policy programmes of the central government. The change is interlinked with the transition from manufacturing to services and also reflects the development of knowledge economy in China. Our study aims to deepen the understanding of the ways in which cultural and creative industries are understood in China and how their development is reconciled with the country-specific challenges: piracy, centralised power and the creativity-hampering features of Confucianism. Our empirical study is based on the experience of a Western 3D contents production company which is actively looking for business opportunities in the cultural and creative industries in China. This experience has been illustrated through interviews in the company and among its partners and potential clients.