Creative Industries of China: Tendencies and Structural Transformation in Production and Trade
https://doi.org/10.21686/2410-7395-2025-4-28-43
Abstract
This study analyzes the development and structural transformation of China's cultural industries from 2004 to 2023. Although China has become the world's largest exporter of cultural products, with a total trade volume of US$166.36 billion and a sustained trade surplus, structural contradictions persist within the industry. The study found that China's cultural industry exhibits a "strong manufacturing sector and weak content" dynamic, with core content products such as publications accounting for only 3.1% of total exports and experiencing a persistent trade deficit. The Belt and Road Initiative provides a crucial path to reducing reliance on developed countries' markets. China urgently needs to transform its industry from a scaledriven, manufacturing-dependent model to one centered on content innovation and quality to achieve sustainable growth. This study offers valuable insights for emerging economies seeking to address the structural challenges of cultural trade through regional cooperation.
Keywords
Trade in creative industries,
Cultural industry,
Cultural trade,
Structural imbalance,
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),
China.
Supporting agencies: Thе study was supported by the grant of the Russian Science Foundation N 22-18-00679, https://rscf.ru/en/project/22-18-00679/
About the Author
Chengpei Zhang
Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Zhang Chengpei - Post-Graduate Student, Chair of Economic Policy and World Economy Graduate School of Economics and Management
19 Mira Street, Ekaterinburg, 620062
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Zhang Ch. Creative Industries of China: Tendencies and Structural Transformation in Production and Trade. International Trade and Trade Policy. 2025;11(4):28-43. https://doi.org/10.21686/2410-7395-2025-4-28-43
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