China Cultural Superpower

China is today a leading economy in terms of exports, trade, and foreign direct investment, but it also aims to be the first in cultural influence. In addition to macroeconomic goals, Beijing seeks a stable presence in UNESCO with investments aimed at building infrastructure and hosting events to meet the cultural needs of an increasingly affluent population, as well as to attract tourists, students, and foreign entrepreneurs, thereby strengthening its soft power as a cultural superpower. Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China and Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, often emphasizes the country's historical and archaeological value in his speeches.

In the second half of July 2021, the city of Fuzhou, in the Fujian province, hosted the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, chaired by Tian Xuejun, Vice Minister of Education and Chair of the People’s Republic of China’s Commission for UNESCO. During this session, several new sites were added to the World Heritage List, including the ancient port city of Quanzhou, located in Fujian. The inclusion of Quanzhou, a maritime trading center between the 10th and 14th centuries during the Song and Yuan dynasties, and visited by Marco Polo during his travels, highlights the intertwining of culture and economy. Quanzhou joins other Chinese heritage sites on the World Heritage List, with 59 sites (40 cultural, 15 natural, 4 mixed) and 43 intangible heritages, for a total of 98 tangible and intangible assets recognized by UNESCO as world heritage. China ranks first among all nations in terms of the number of world heritage sites; Italy has more tangible assets (60) but fewer intangible assets (15).

Among China’s World Heritage Sites are not only archaeological sites and remnants of ancient imperial cities but also places of significant economic importance: in addition to the port city in Fujian, the list includes the Grand Canal, which allowed for a river connection between the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, and the over 5,000 km segment of the Silk Road, known as the Tianshan Corridor, which allowed trade routes from Chang’an, the ancient capital of the Han and Tang dynasties, to reach the distant regions of Central Asia and, from there, the markets of Europe.

China's focus on UNESCO is accompanied by many other actions demonstrating Beijing’s attention to promoting its millennia-long history, well represented by the growing public and private investments in cultural projects and the construction of new museums. This direction is promoted by specific government guidelines, including the transformation of the museum system to international standards by 2035, through the creation of 15 major cultural centers and 20 centers for the protection of intangible heritage, along with every place that fosters cultural influence. According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Toursim , China has more than 3,303 public libraries, 44,000 cultural centers (including theaters, concert halls, and other facilities), and 10,560 institutes for the preservation and protection of archaeological artifacts, which employ over 2.3 million people.

The construction of cultural centers and art galleries, especially in major cities, has involved internationally renowned architects and is part of development and urban regeneration projects, particularly initiated during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Shanghai Expo, which hosted over 73 million visitors. It is not uncommon, especially in Shanghai, to come across old factories and industrial areas completely redeveloped and converted into spaces dedicated to art, or in restored historic buildings distinguished by commemorative plaques.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has released the five-year plan for the sector, outlining the main development goals for the 2021–2025 period. Among these goals are providing greater protection for sites that are part of China’s cultural heritage and developing the tourism sector in a modern and sustainable way, also using new technologies and artificial intelligence. Internationally, China aims to promote more cultural cooperation, particularly with countries along the new Silk Road. The year 2022 was the year of tourism and culture between Italy and China. According to data from Beijing’s statistical center, in the last pre-pandemic year, 2019, the domestic tourism market recorded 6 billion trips and over 5.7 trillion yuan in turnover. There were 145 million international arrivals in China in 2019, with over 31 million foreign tourists and a turnover of over 900 billion yuan.

A 2023 ranking places Beijing as the main destination for domestic tourism, followed by Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Xi’an, while a recent survey confirmed the popularity of cultural visits and appreciation from tourists: 83.6 per cent appreciate visits to museums, and over 73.2 per cent include these experiences in their travel itineraries. As of 2023, China has 6,833 museums, with annual visits exceeding 1.2 billion.  A particular niche is represented by so-called red tourism, aimed at discovering and understanding the origins and evolution of the Chinese Communist Party. China currently has over 33,000 sites and artifacts from the revolutionary period, with more than 800 million tourists visiting each year.

Domestic tourism has also been crucial for post-COVID economic recovery, and the government’s declared goal is to build a sector capable of generating 10 per cent of GDP in the coming years. A total of 4.89 billion domestic trips were made in 2023, up by 93.3 per cent over the previous year, and domestic tourist spending reached RMB 4.91 trillion (USD 680 billion). 2024 the travel and tourism industry is forecasted to account for at least 9 per cent of the GDP, thanks to the government's increased efforts to bolster domestic travel.

Internationally, Beijing has focused on developing diplomacy based on cultural as well as economic aspects. In recent years, in order to increase the spread of the Chinese language abroad, Beijing has promoted the development of the Confucius Institute network, which often serves as a bridge for foreign students interested in understanding Chinese language and society. These institutes are complemented by cultural projects revolving around the new Silk Road, with new investments and greater exchanges. The implementation of numerous projects in emerging regions, including a museum in Dakar, Senegal, where China has allocated USD 34 million, are symbols of this strategy of cultural and economic interaction.

Significant funds are also being allocated to the use of various media, such as books, newspapers, television, and cinema, with the establishment of artistic foundations like the China National Arts Fund and the National Center for the Performing Arts.

Few nations have comparable capabilities and resources to allocate to cultural promotion. Companies operating in the sector generated a turnover in China of 9.85 trillion yuan (about USD 2.32 trillion) in 2022, with a 1 per cent growth rate compared to the previous year.  

With the new Five-Year Plan, Beijing has outlined the country’s development plans for the coming years, aimed at creating a prosperous, harmonious, and culturally advanced socialist nation.