The Chinese Government issued a policy yesterday in Beijing to guide private investments into sectors of the State-owned culture industry.

The policy, titled "State Council's several decisions on guiding non-public capital into the cultural industry," clearly defines the areas that private investors can access, including the performing arts, theaters, museums, exhibitions, Internet services, flash and online games, film manufacturing, cinemas, audio products' distribution and so on.

The government will allow State performing troupes and theatres to form partnerships with private investors, even letting them be major stock holders.

In certain areas, however such as printing and distribution, news publisher's advertising, music, science, sports and entertainment programming by broadcasters and TV stations, film manufacturing, distribution and screening State capital will hold more than 51 per cent of stock.

"In order to guide private cultural companies to develop in a sustainable and rapid manner," the decision called on the Culture Ministry, the State Administration of Broadcasting, Film and TV and the State Administration of Publication and Press to come up with detailed measures to implement the decision.

(China Daily 08/09/2005 page2)