From the chinese press

Necessity of the arts

Throughout history, countries that have influenced world affairs have had great "soft power" in the arts. Artists have spread their countries' cultures and values through their works. So, China has to promote the arts if it wants the world to better understand its culture and values, says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

The spread of different cultures in the world calls for countries like China to boost their "soft power" in the arts. China's peaceful rise has to run parallel to the cultivation of artistic creativity. One way to meet this demand of the times is to promote the arts among people, popularize professional arts education and make knowledge in the arts an accomplishment in itself.