Chinese cultural sector eyes digital upgrade

China's push to bolster digitalization in the cultural industry demonstrates that cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G and big data will lay a solid technological foundation for driving high-quality development of the sector and further unleash the nation's cultural consumption potential, industry experts said.

Their comments came after the general offices of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, China's Cabinet, jointly released a guideline on Sunday underpinning digitalization of the cultural industry.

The country will speed up the digitalization layout of the industry, cultivate a new batch of cultural enterprises in the fields of cultural data collection, processing, trade, distribution and presentation, as well as support initial public offerings of eligible digital culture enterprises on the science and technology innovation board, also known as the STAR Market, the guideline stated.

More efforts are needed to study and formulate relevant policies to support digitalization of the cultural industry, step up financial support and establish national scientific and technological innovation centers and key laboratories in terms of cultural digitalization, it added.

"The application of digital technologies, such as 5G, artificial intelligence, big data and the internet of things will empower digital transformation of the traditional cultural industry, which is also in line with the country's broader push to facilitate the growth of the digital economy," said Long Haibo, a senior researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council.

The online cultural and entertainment industry is set to enjoy growth momentum, Long said, adding that the digital economy has expanded into the social and cultural segment. "The digitalization of the cultural industry will also accelerate the integration of digital technologies with culture, and create new business formats and models."

Moreover, "new infrastructure " construction in the cultural sector will promote transformation and upgrade of China's traditional cultural industry, it added, as reported by China Daily, a partner of TV BRICS.

Photo: China Daily