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Published by ChinaMNC · Dahuayaozu

China's Cultural Policy Push: What Foreign Founders Operating in China Should Know

A ChinaMNC briefing for foreign founders on China's cultural development agenda, drawing on the official article about Xi Jinping's cultural thought and the 15th Five-Year Plan, and flagging where culture, heritage, tourism and public services intersect with business operations in China.

Why This Policy Matters to Foreign Founders in China

For foreign founders registering or operating a company in China, national cultural policy is not just a slogan. It shapes planning priorities, public investment, heritage rules, tourism flows and the way cultural products are promoted. The official article reviewed here describes how Xi Jinping's cultural thought is guiding the building of a “socialist cultural power” during the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This briefing translates the source's factual content into practical context for foreign founders.

Policy Framework: Culture in the 15th Five-Year Plan

According to the source, a strategic task on stimulating nationwide cultural innovation and creativity and on prospering socialist culture has been written into the 15th Five-Year Plan outline. The article states that the goals and path for building a strong socialist culture have become clearer as a result.

The source also describes Xi Jinping's cultural thought as a theoretical summary of the Party's cultural work and as a guide for propaganda, ideological and cultural work. For foreign founders, the practical takeaway is that culture is framed as a national development priority, not a peripheral sector.

Theory, Publishing and Research

The article notes that works including the first and second volumes of Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture, Excerpts of Xi Jinping's Discourses on Establishing and Practicing a Correct View of Political Achievements, the first and second volumes of Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Party Building, and the Chinese and English editions of the first volume of Records of Governance in the New Era have been published this year. It says officials are encouraged to read original texts and study principles.

The source states that Xi Jinping gave instructions on promoting high-quality development of philosophy and social sciences, calling for research and interpretation of the Party's new theories and for accelerating the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences. It also mentions grassroots theory-learning activities such as Zibo's “Mingli Hutong” in Shandong and Chongqing's “Small Courtyard Lectures,” and theory outreach teams such as the “8090 New Era Theory Publicity Team” and Fudan University's “Spark” volunteer service team.

Core Values, Civic Education and Public Culture

The source describes efforts to integrate core socialist values into rule of law, social development and daily life. It cites activities including the “Hundred Lectures on Core Values,” the emergence of “Role Models of the Times,” “Good Chinese People” and “Most Beautiful People,” positive online content, and rural civility campaigns.

It also reports that on July 1, at the Great Hall of the People, Xi Jinping awarded the “July 1 Medal” to recipients. Ahead of International Children's Day, Xi replied to Young Pioneer docent guides at the Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Nanhu Red Boat Memorial, encouraging them to pass on the historical relay.

The article lists events including the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, activities marking the 90th anniversary of the Long March victory, press conferences on the “15th Five-Year Plan” opening, and the 2026 “Strong Nation, Rejuvenation with Me” mass publicity campaign.

Heritage Protection: New Rules and Recognition

For founders involved in cultural tourism, creative industries or site-related projects, heritage policy is especially relevant. The source reports that on July 25, 2026, at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea, China's “Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Relics” passed review and became China's 61st World Heritage site.

It notes that three years earlier, after Xi Jinping's cultural thought was proposed, his first local inspection was in Jiangxi, where he praised ceramics as a Chinese treasure and an important名片 of Chinese civilization, and urged that Jingdezhen's “millennium porcelain capital” brand be polished.

The article states that the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Protection and Inheritance of Cultural Heritage, setting out a roadmap and task list for high-quality heritage development over the next five years.

The source says historic districts such as Beijing's Longfusi, Suzhou's Pingjiang Road and Fuzhou's Sanfang Qixiang attract visitors for intangible heritage, creative products and time-honored brands. It states that 600 million visits are made each year to revolutionary sites and memorial halls nationwide.

Cultural Industries, Public Services and Consumption

The article reports that the 7th National Ethnic Minority Literature and Art Festival was held in Beijing from August 18 to September 23, with 48 outstanding productions, a record number, and about 180,000 online and offline attendees.

It states that “prospering new mass literature and art under internet conditions” was written into the 15th Five-Year Plan outline, and that policies including the Work Plan for Literature and Art Enhancing Rural Beauty (2025–2027) and the Three-Year Action Plan for Drama Revitalization (2026–2028) have been issued. It notes that delivery-worker poets and grassroots writers have won mainstream literary awards.

Public cultural infrastructure cited includes 3,253 public libraries, 7,188 museums and nearly 44,000 mass cultural institutions. The source mentions film and television works such as Tree of Life, Love Letter to Grandma and Welcome to Long Restaurant, a booming cultural tourism market, and popular “City Super” and “Village Super” events.

Ahead of the Spring Festival, Xi Jinping inspected Beijing and stressed actively developing modern service industries, using rich cultural resources, and promoting integrated development of culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibitions.

The source cites 14,900 intangible cultural heritage workshops that have driven employment and income growth for more than 1.3 million people in related industries, and a Guidance on Promoting High-Quality Development of Historical Classic Industries that plans to build several hundred-billion-yuan characteristic industrial clusters. It says culture is playing a supporting role in high-quality development by expanding domestic demand, boosting consumption and raising confidence.

International Cultural Exchange

The article mentions Chinese archaeological cooperation, including confirmation of the dual sacred lake remains at the Montu Temple site in Egypt, promotion of China's large-site protection experience at the Ben Arous forest site in Tunisia, and the Honghe site in Kyrgyzstan as evidence of Silk Road exchange.

It quotes Xi Jinping's call for civilization exchange to transcend estrangement, mutual learning to transcend conflict, and inclusiveness to transcend superiority. It also refers to Xi's explanation of the people-centered thought in Chinese civilization and the Party's commitment to serving the people.

Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.

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