China improves cultural services since 18th CPC National Congress

BEIJING - China has released documents and spent more money to improve services in the cultural sector since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012.

According to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, the cultural industry and its related industries accounted for 4.07 percent of the country's GDP in 2016 from 3.48 percent in 2012.

China spent more than 77 billion yuan (11.6 billion US dollars) in developing cultural sector in 2016, up 60.5 percent from 2012, according to official figures.

Chinese films reached nearly 49.3 billion yuan in ticket sales, growing from 17 billion yuan in 2012, according to the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT).

In the overseas market, Chinese films earned more than 3.8 billion yuan in 2016, 3.6 times that in 2012, and more than 2.7 billion yuan in the first half of 2017, SAPPRFT reported.

China also issued a guideline and a law to promote cultural services for the public.

Since 2012, the central government has invested 1.6 billion yuan to support the construction of 214 public libraries, museums, and cultural centers at a prefecture level.