The Ministry of Culture disclosed recently that China will implement an occupational qualification certificate system for the cultural industry. Currently more than 30 occupations are listed, including actor, actress, singer, dancer, performer and social cultural worker. This has aroused public controversy. The following are excerpts from media comments:

Beijing Youth Daily: To implement such a system will not do any good for culture.

There have been ongoing disputes about the boundaries of culture. Now after five years of preparation, the ministries of culture, labor and social security are going to promote a certification system. In the future, people who make a living in film production, singing and dancing will all have to hold certificates.

The requirement of a certificate is not a new topic. A certificate is a threshold to keep the good and eliminate the false. The cultural authorities stated that it would guarantee the professional quality of workers and cool down the booming commercial contest shows.

But since the cultural industry differs from other trades, it is doubtful that the certification system will help it.

The current cultural ecology includes elite culture and popular culture. While admitting the enlightenment function of elite culture, we cannot ignore the entertainment value of popular culture. Groups at different levels are producing different products of culture and entertainment. In this sense, all people involved in the process belong in the category of cultural workers.

But it is going to be a disaster for culture if the authorities define the qualification boundaries of cultural workers with a principle of unified standards, tests, management and certification. Filtrated by this certification system, many rural traveling performing troupes will probably have to disband, the temple fair culture in many townships will fall to a low ebb. The reason is simple: the production and creation of culture cannot be tested or examined. Those illiterate artists may create a marvel but fail the tests.

There are too many cases of cheating in certification. And the testing business behind the certificates has become the means for some departments to collect fat profits. The public is justified in worrying that these same problems may reappear.

Jinan Times: Public recognition is the best certificate.

Certificates seem to be a necessity for people to find jobs today. But to require filmmakers, dancers and singers to take a test for the certification is not a good idea.

Culture and arts have their folk ground. The environment should be relaxed and standards variable. In such a field, there should not be any restrictions, nor an official entry threshold. It is inappropriate to assess something that varies widely with a unified standard.

Ba Jin, one of the nation's literary giants of the past century, once said that writers and artists live in their works, live in their own art practices, but not in the mouths of officials.

Cultural workers need a space to practice their art without restrictions. For those working in cultural areas, there is no need to set a threshold because public recognition is the best certificate.

A certification system that does not benefit the development of culture should be aborted.

Dahe Daily: From a legal perspective, it is not appropriate for the Ministry of Culture to require cultural workers to hold a certificate. Such an administrative permit can only be established by the National People's Congress or its standing committee, the State Council and the provincial people's congress or its standing committee. Provincial-level governments can establish temporary administrative permits. Other State organs cannot establish administrative permits.

The Ministry of Culture cited the Labor Law and the Law of Occupational Education but forgot the Administrative License Law. It is illegal for the ministry to perform a power that it is not granted.

(China Daily 04/23/2007 page4)