Wider Channels of Cultural Exchanges

As it entered the 1980s, China gradually changed the old practices that largely relied on official channels and administrative orders of cultural administrations to arrange cultural exchange projects. It brought into play the initiatives of central government departments and local governments, and availed itself to all channels to launch diversified exchange activities. The Sino-foreign cultural exchanges comprise inter-governmental and non-governmental exchange projects, projects sponsored by cultural administrations and other administrations, cultural cooperation projects assigned by central and local governments, and exchange projects between sister provinces and sister cities. Chinese cultural administrations often work with foreign economic trade and tourism administrations to put forward cultural exchange activities. All these channels coordinated to promote the development of the Chinese cultural exchanges with other countries.

One decade after the reform and opening up, China’s non-governmental cultural exchanges developed quickly. They displayed mighty vitality and became important forces in China’s cultural exchanges with foreign countries. Non-governmental exchanges were more than inter-governmental ones with developed countries as Japan, Europe and the United States. Non-governmental exchanges grew year after year with Thailand and Singapore. Non-governmental cultural organizations and people of goodwill from many countries paid friendly visits to China. Art performances through non-governmental channels were very active.

Since 1986, China Performing Arts Agency accounted for more than 80 percent of art troupes sent out through the non-governmental channels each year. They largely made paid and commercial performances. Paid and commercial performances had become important components of non-governmental exchanges, and new development of the country’s cultural exchanges with the outside world. Such performances would bring about sound social and economic benefits, promote Chinese culture and art, and enhance understanding and friendship. They would also save costs for the country, increase incomes, and improve the lives of the performers. Therefore, they were beneficial to the country, collective and individuals.

In recent years, Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe, Guangzhou Soldiers Acrobatic Troupe, Anhui Acrobatic Troupe, Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe, Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe, Dalian Acrobatic Troupe, and China National Acrobatic Troupe, have made great experiments in these fields, with admirable results. They supplied precious experiences for further launching paid and commercial performances.

To adapt to the needs of cultural exchanges with foreign countries, China established many national and local non-governmental organizations in the 1980s, which were active in cultural exchange activities. China International Culture Association, set up in July 1986, is a national social group for non-governmental cultural exchanges. It largely exchanges and cooperates with cultural and art organizations, academic bodies, and celebrities from the literary and art circles in various countries and regions. It also signs cooperation agreements with corresponding organizations and bodies in foreign countries for personnel visits, book and document exchanges, holding art performances and exhibitions, and cultural academic seminars. The existing national organizations such as The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Chinese Writers Association, and the newly established China International Culture and Arts Center, China Council for the Promotion of International Friendship, and sister cities across the country would arrange non-governmental cultural exchange projects each year, in all sorts of forms and scales.

China International Culture and Arts Center, set up in 1984, is the first national social organization for international cultural exchanges established since the reform and opening up. Since its founding, the center has arranged extensive exchanges with foreign countries in the fields of culture, art, economy, science and technology, social science, education, religion, press, books, and audio and video publications. The exchange modes comprise art performances, participating in international conferences, cooperating in researches, sponsoring professional seminars and art exhibitions, and arranging visits of goodwill. It invites foreign bodies and individuals to visit China, as well as organizes Chinese personnel to visit abroad.

Since its establishment, the center has received over 1,300 visiting bodies and individuals, involving more than 13,000 persons, from scores of countries and regions in Asia, Europe, America and Oceania. It has also organized bodies to visit nearly 20 countries and regions across the world. Each year, the exchange programs relate to some hundred to thousand persons. Similar to other national non-governmental organizations, the center launches extensive international non-governmental cultural exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and friendly cooperation between the Chinese people and people from other countries and regions in the world. It has contributed to promoting China’s reform, opening up and socialist construction, prospering and developing its socialist cultural undertakings, and maintaining peace in the world.