In order to thoroughly carry out the spirit of the 18th CPC National Congress and its Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Plenary Sessions, as well as the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s series of important speeches,
implement the "Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road" (hereinafter referred to as "Vision and Actions"), issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, with State Council authorization. It is specially formulated to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations, interlink between civilians along the Belt and Road, and to effectively promote the innovative development of cultural exchanges, cultural dissemination, and cultural trade.
I.Guiding Ideology and Basic Principles
(I) Guiding Ideology
Holding high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, guided by Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, thoroughly carry out the spirit of the series of important speeches of General Secretary Xi Jinping, adhering to the heading direction of advanced socialist culture, and seriously implement the overall deployment of "Vision and Actions", to promote countries and regions along the "Belt and Road" to actively participate in cultural exchanges and cooperation, inherit the spirit of the Silk Road, boost mutual learning, strengthen sincerity and communication between civilizations. Promote the "going out" of Chinese culture, expand its international influence, consolidate the foundation of public opinion, to achieve the overall goal of "Vision and Actions" and comprehensively promote the construction of the Belt and Road.
(II) Basic Principles
Government-led, open and inclusive. Adhere to the strategic layout of cultural opening-up, take advantages of the leading and coordinating role of the government, strengthen cultural exchanges with governments of countries and regions along the Belt and Road, focus on establishing a long-term cooperation mechanism, give full play to the advantages of domestic provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, and encourage social forces to actively participate in. Mutual learning, innovation and development. Adhering to the concept of harmony but not uniformity, mutual learning and shared benefit, respecting the spiritual creation and cultural traditions of the Belt and Road countries and regions; driving by innovation,making full use of Internet thinking and new scientific and technological means to promote the in-depth integration of the multi-culture of the Belt and Road.
Market oriented and mutual benefit. Take consideration of the interests and concerns of all parties, follow international rules and market patterns, give full play to the important role of the market in resource allocation, mobilize the enthusiasm of all parties, and closely integrate culture with diplomacy and commerce to form a coordinated development of cultural exchanges, cultural dissemination, and cultural trade, and achieve mutual benefit.
II. Objectives
Accurately understand the spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative, comprehensively improve the openness in cultural, adhering to the concept of cooperation based on the surroundings, radiating the Belt and Road and global-oriented, and build a community of shared destiny with cultural integration. Focus on achieving the following objectives:
——Gradually improve the cultural exchange and cooperation mechanism. Improve the mechanisms of government and folk culture exchange and cooperation of countries and regions along the Belt and Road, and inter-ministerial, ministerial and provincial working mechanisms. Form an overall development mechanism of government coordination, social participation, and market operation, and a coordinated development trend of cross-regional, cross-departmental, and cross-industry cultural exchanges and cooperation.
——Basically form the cultural exchange and cooperation platform. Accelerate the establishment of Chinese cultural centers in countries and regions along the Belt and Road to form a network of facilities with reasonable layout and complete functions. The platform construction of various art festivals, expositions, trade fairs, forums, public information services and others themed with the Belt and Road gradually achieve standardized and normalized.
——Fully manifest the brand effect of cultural exchange and cooperation. Build well-known brands for cultural exchanges and cooperation, continue to expand the influence of the brand of "Happy Spring Festival" along the Belt and Road, and give full play to the carrier role of major cultural exchange brand activities such as "Culture Journey along the Silk Road" and "Culture Envoy of the Silk Road".
——Gradually realize the large-scale of cultural industry and foreign cultural trade. The development pattern of the cultural industry oriented the Belt and Road market has initially taken shape, the scale of cultural enterprises are increasing, and cultural trade channels are expanding, with service system construction has achieved initial results.
III. Key tasks
(I) Improve the Belt and Road Cultural Exchange and Cooperation Mechanism
Actively sign intergovernmental documents with countries and regions along the Belt and Road, deepen cooperation mechanisms such as the Committee on Humanities Cooperation and Joint Committee on Culture, and provide effective guarantee for the development of the Belt and Road culture. Strengthen high-level cultural consultations such as the Culture Ministerial Meeting of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, China-CEEC Ministerial Forum on Culture Cooperation, China-Arab States Ministerial Forum on Cultural Cooperation, and the Culture Ministerial Meeting of China-ASEAN (10+1), etc. Promote the establishment of exchange and cooperation mechanisms for intangible cultural heritage with countries and regions along the route.
Establish long-term cooperation mechanisms for cultural heritage protection and world heritage declaration with countries and regions along the route. Support China National Arts Fund to establish cooperation mechanisms with similar institutions of countries and regions along the route.
Improve the ministry-province cooperation mechanism and encourage provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities to carry out regional cooperation in cultural exchange, heritage protection, literary and artistic creation, cultural tourism, etc. Give play to the unique advantages of overseas Chinese and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions, actively build a cultural exchange platform between Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and countries and regions along the Belt and Road. Fully consider and include the marine culture represented by Mazu culture, and build the 21st century Maritime Silk Road cultural bond. Guide and support social forces to participate in the Belt and Road cultural exchanges and cooperation.
Column 1: Construction of the Belt and Road Cultural Exchange and Cooperation Mechanism
1. Belt and Road International Exchange Mechanism Construction Plan
Actively implement the inter-governmental documents such as cultural cooperation (including cultural heritage protection) agreements, annual performance plans, memorandums of understanding signed by China and countries and regions along the Belt and Road, strengthen the cultural exchanges and cooperation as well. Promote the establishment of the Silk Road International League of Theatres, Silk Road International Library Alliance, International Alliance of Museums of the Silk Road, Silk Road International Alliance of Art Museums, Network of Silk Road Arts Festivals, Arts University Alliance of the Silk Road, etc., gradually establish intercity cultural exchange and cooperation mechanisms with regional organizations and key countries along the Belt and Road.
2. Belt and Road Domestic Cooperation Mechanism Construction Plan
Establish the Belt and Road Ministry-Province counterpart cooperation mechanism, jointly study and formulate mid- and long-term cooperation plans, provide support in project approval, funding, talents, technology, etc., establish counterpart project cooperation mechanisms and task assessment mechanisms, and study and propose performance evaluation methods.
(II) Improve the Belt and Road Cultural Exchange and Cooperation Platform
Give priority to promoting the construction of Chinese cultural centers in countries and regions along the Belt and Road, and improve the center layout. Focus on building international exchange and cooperation platforms themed with the Belt and Road, including international art festivals, expositions, art parks, etc. Encourage and support various comprehensive international forums and trade fairs to set up the Belt and Road cultural exchange sectors. Gradually establish a Silk Road cultural database and build a public digital cultural support platform.
Column 2: Construction of the Belt and Road Cultural Exchange and Cooperation Platform
3. Construction Plan of the Chinese Cultural Centers along the Belt and Road Countries
Implement the “Development Plan of Overseas Chinese Cultural Center (2012-2020)”, giving preference to establish Chinese culture centers in the Belt and Road countries of Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Serbia, Latvia, Turkmenistan, Israel, etc.
4. Construction Plan of the Belt and Road Cultural Exchange and Cooperation Platform
Build Xinjiang International Ethnic Dance Festival, Silk Road International Arts Festival, Maritime Silk Road International Arts Festival, Silk Road(Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, World Ocean Week in Xiamen, China Marine Culture Festival, etc., into international exchange and cooperation platforms. Establish key project platforms such as the Maritime Silk Road Art Park • Asia, China-Arab Friendship Sculpture Park, etc.
Encourage comprehensive platforms to set up the Belt and Road cultural exchange sectors, including China-Eurasia Expo, China-Arab States Expo, China-ASEAN Expo, Western China International Fair, China (shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair, West China Culture Industries Expo, etc.
(III) Create the Belt and Road Cultural Exchange Brands
Create major brands such as Happy Spring Festival, Culture Journey along the Silk Road in countries and regions along the Belt and Road, and organize cultural festivals (year, season, week, day) and other activities to expand the scale of cultural exchange.
Select the Culture Envoy of the Silk Road jointly with the Belt and Road countries and regions, to promote the exchange of ideas and culture through the dialogues of think-tank scholars, sinologists, translators and the cultivation of young talents. Promote the translation and promotion of Chinese and foreign cultural classics.
Actively participate in the joint protection, research, personnel training, project exchange and declaration of intangible cultural heritage shared with the same origin with countries and regions along the Belt and Road. Increase the protection of the Belt and Road cultural heritage and promote international cooperation with the Belt and Road countries and regions in archaeological research, restoration of cultural relics, exhibition of cultural relics, personnel training, exchange of museums, declaration and management of world heritage, etc. Encourage local and social forces to participate in foreign exchanges and cooperation in the field of cultural heritage.
Prosper the production of the Belt and Road culture and art, advocate joint creation and joint promotion with art talents and cultural institutions in countries and regions along the route, build display platforms, enhance the professional level and comprehensive quality of art talents, and reserve talents for the Silk Road art creation.
Column 3: Building the Belt and Road Cultural Exchange Brands
5. Plan of the Culture Journey along the Silk Road
Build Culture Journey along the Silk Road brands, and by 2020, achieve a cultural exchange scale of 30,000 person-times, 1,000 Chinese and foreign cultural institutions, 200 experts and 100 large-scale Cultural Year (Festival, Season, Week, Day) with the Belt and Road countries and regions. Jointly develop Silk Road Cultural Tourism Boutique Lines and related cultural and creative products with the Belt and Road countries and regions. Invite famous artists from the Belt and Road countries and regions to come to China and hold creative activities of Insight of China, to promote exchanges and visits between national art troupes and representative stage art works and form brand activities.
6. Plan of the Culture Envoy of the Silk Road
Carry out exchanges and cooperation with think-tanks of the Belt and Road countries and regions, hold training activities for young sinologists and translators, and invite 800 famous think-tank scholars, sinologists, and translators to come to China for exchange and training. Implement the Belt and Road Chinese Cultural Translation Talent Development Plan. Hold culture forums with neighboring countries. Co-organize with the Belt and Road countries and regions in exchange visits of outstanding artists representing national standards and national characteristics, cultural and artistic personnel training and youth exchange activities. Cultivate 150 international youth cultural relic restoration and museum management talents.
7. The Belt and Road Art Creation Support Plan
Support the joint creation with cultural institutions of the Belt and Road countries and regions in the fields of drama, music, dance, fine arts, etc., implement the Inheritance and Development Plan of Chinese Excellent Traditional Art in the regions along the Belt and Road in China. Through National Art Fund to support excellent art creation project themed with the Belt and Road.
8. The Belt and Road Cultural Heritage Corridor Construction Plan
Jointly carry out archaeological cooperation, cultural relics protection and restoration, personnel training and other projects with countries and regions along the Belt and Road, implement cultural relics protection assistance projects. Organize seminars and exchanges on the theme of Silk Road Cultural Heritage. Promote the declaration of cultural heritage in Maritime Silk Road and the expansion project of the world cultural heritage "Silk Road: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor".
(IV) Promote the Prosperity of the Belt and Road Cultural Industry
Establish and improve the international cooperation mechanism of the cultural industry and accelerate the construction of the domestic Silk Road Cultural Industry Belt. Focusing on cultural tourism, performing and entertainment, arts and crafts, creative design, and digital culture, support the implementation of unique cultural industry projects based on regional and ethnic
characteristics along the Belt and Road, and strengthen cooperation with the Belt and Road countries in the digital protection and development of cultural resources, actively use the Belt and Road cultural exchange and cooperation platform to promote cultural creative products, and promote the development of the animation game industry towards the Belt and Road countries. Comply with the development trend of "Internet+", promote the integrated development of the Internet and cultural industries, encourage and guide social capital to invest in the construction of the Silk Road Cultural Industry Belt. Continue to promote the construction of the Cultural Industry Corridor of Tibetan, Qiang and Yi Ethnic Groups.
Column 4: The Belt and Road Cultural Industry Development
9. Silk Road Cultural Industry Belt Construction Plan
Encourage domestic cultural enterprises along the Belt and Road in cross-region operation, achieve cultural tourism of mutual destinations and customer sources, and build representative production and sales bases of cultural products. Use the cultural industry project service platforms to strengthen the whole range of services including the solicitation and release, publicity and promotion, financing negotiation, docking and landing of key cultural industry projects along the silk road. Include eligible Chinese cities along the Belt and Road in to expand the scope of pilot cultural consumption, and gradually establish a long-term mechanism of cultural consumption promotion.
10. The Belt and Road Cooperation Action Plan for the Animation & Game Industry
Give full play to the leading role of the animation and game industry in the international cooperation of the cultural industry, facing the Belt and Road countries, focusing on key points and carrying out extensively. Build communication and cooperation platforms, carry out communication and promotion activities, advance interconnection and intercommunication, and build an industrial ecosystem. Take advantages of the strong innovation and large scale of Chinese animation and game industry, cultivate key enterprises, implement key projects, carry out international production capacity cooperation, realize the significant expansion of the cooperation scale and level improvement of animation and game industry between China and the Belt and Road countries, plays a unique role in the connection of the youth.
11. The Belt and Road Culture and Museum Industry Prosperity Plan
Promote the "Internet + Chinese Civilization" and "Cultural Relics Insight of China", improve the integration of the Belt and Road cultural heritage with tourism, film and television, publishing, animation, games, architecture, design and other industries, and promote the international circulation of cultural relics resources, new technologies, creative talents and other industrial factors.
(V) Promote the Belt and Road Cultural Trade Cooperation
Focus on the fields of performing, film, television, radio, music, animation, games, entertainment, digital culture, creative design, cultural technology equipment, artworks, authorized products, etc., explore and improve international cooperation channels. Promote national cultural brands and encourage cultural enterprises to invest in countries and regions along the Belt and Road. Encourage state-owned enterprises and social capital to participate in the Belt and Road cultural trade, and rely on the country's foreign cultural trade base to promote the linkage integration, integration and innovation of backbone and small and medium-sized cultural enterprises, and promote the positive interaction between cultural production and consumption.
Column 5: The Belt and Road Cultural Trade Cooperation
12. The Belt and Road Cultural Trade Development Plan
Support export-oriented backbone cultural enterprises to carry out project cooperation around key areas with cultural enterprises in countries and regions along the Belt and Road. Carry out 1,000 person-times exchanges and visits of professional managers, creative planners and management personnels in cultural trade. Set up the Belt and Road Halls/Zones on international cultural exhibitions held in China, support domestic cultural enterprises to participate in well-known cultural exhibitions in countries and regions along the Belt and Road.
IV. Safeguards
(I) Organization Guarantee
Take advantage of the inter-ministerial joint meeting mechanism for foreign cultural work, under the guidance of the Belt and Road work leading group of the Ministry of Culture, clarify the division of responsibilities according to this plan, formulate implementation plans, strengthen supervision and inspection, and form a joint work force.
(II) Policy and Regulation Guarantee
Sign and implement international government cultural cooperation agreements, fully implement national cultural, diplomatic and trade policies, strengthen the protection of intellectual property in the cultural field. Establish and improve the relevant laws and regulations of cultural undertakings, cultural industries and foreign cultural trade, and guide enterprises to consciously abide by international laws and trade rules.
(III) Capital Guarantee
Improve the financial investment mechanism, and set up a special fund for the Belt and Road cultural exchanges by the Ministry of Culture. Encourage social forces to participate in, and guide social capitals to invest in the culture development of the Belt and Road. Encourage policy and commercial financial institutions to take advantages and explore effective models to support the culture development of the Belt and Road, provide diversified financial services for the Belt and Road cultural projects.
(IV) Talent Guarantee
Cultivate a team of cultural diplomatic talents who are politically strong, proficient in business, skilled in foreign languages, strict in discipline and strong in style. Increase the reserve of talents in non-linguistic languages, and guide cultural and art professional and technical talents and compound management talents to devote in the Belt and Road cultural work. Carry out targeted Belt and Road cultural exchange training, strengthen the construction of the Belt and Road cultural talent teams, and improve their quality and ability.
(V) Evaluation and Implementation
Establish a Belt and Road cultural development key project library, regularly check, evaluate, and summarize the implementation, promote advanced experience and effective practices.