Syndicated from The Black Renaissance
The term “creative economy” has been used to describe countries who have evolved from a post-industrial stage. The term implies a wide range of economic activities that encompass industries such as fashion, design, film, art and publishing. It has been considered to be the differentiating point that sets innovative forerunners apart from commodity-driven nations, and is therefore a timely topic in a rapidly developing world. “Creative Industries in China” is the book that sums up the rise of this phenomenon for China. With a heavy academic background, the author, Michael Keane looks at the rise of creativity within China’s unique political and cultural setting. The writing at times can be quite dense (especially for those who may not be well-versed on the topic) as Keane comes from a strong academic background, but the ideas he explores are well worth the read. How does China’s governmental policy balance the nurturing of individual creativity but suppress political dissidents like Ai Weiwei? Why is China flailing behind in terms of design compared to Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan? These are some of the exciting topics that Keane delves into.
The key arguments that Keane pens throughout the book about creativity are as follows:
- Tensions are continuing to play out between political culture and commercial creativity in China
- Policy makers, academics and even many ordinary citizens hope that the nation will become a ‘creative nation’ rather than a producer of cheap imitative products shipped to overseas markets.
- The cultural and creative industries are viewed by many Chinese scholars as the means by which China will radiate its ‘soft power’ to the world.
- Creative Industries in China (Page 4)
Overall, the book explores China’s ideological understanding of culture and creativity in relation to its political setting: one markedly different from Western conception. With this in mind, Keane explains the reasons of several phenomenons including China’s lax enforcement of intellectual property laws, how policies surrounding creativity are formed, and China’s own history in culture and innovation. The book also spends time to assess the state of China’s current creative efforts: how does the nation’s film, TV and animation sectors compare to international competitors? How does Shaoxing, the city responsible for 25% of the world’s textile production upgrade itself?
Keane believes that China is nearing the cusp of a tipping point: one where the nation has celebrated the highs of the Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai World Expo, whilst facing high profile detractors such as Liu Xiaobo. “Chinese culture has reached a point of change,” Keane argues. “The idea that creativity is essential for the renewal of Chinese society is now widely accepted”. As China’s competitive advantage in price slowly erodes away to its cheaper less developed neighbors, the importance of creativity will rise making this book is a timely and imperative read.
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