China’s leaders have long insisted that shutting itself off from the world is futile – “关起门来搞建设不可能成功” (closing the door to build cannot succeed). In the coming 15th Five-Year Plan, policymakers emphasize that growing China’s domestic market does not mean retreating from global engagement. As one expert notes, expanding “internal demand” is “绝非‘关起门搞建设’” – domestic strength and high-level opening-up must go hand in hand. This principle of “对外不关门，对内强能力” (keep doors open to the outside, strengthen capability at home) is vital for China’s cultural and creative industries (CCIs). With APEC 2025 recognizing CCIs as a key growth driver, Chinese policy should pursue a balanced approach: actively collaborating internationally while nurturing homegrown creativity and keeping cultural value within China.

Historical Lessons of Openness in Culture

China’s cultural heritage offers striking lessons. For millennia, routes like the Silk Roads facilitated a two-way flow of ideas and creativity. As UNESCO notes, “travelers along the Silk Roads… were attracted not only by trade but also by the intellectual and cultural exchange”. Arts, technology and beliefs spread widely – for example, Chinese silk-making techniques eventually reached Byzantium via cultural exchange. This legacy shows that cultural exchange sparks innovation: cities along these routes became hubs of learning as “science, arts and literature… were shared and disseminated… and cultures influenced one another”.

Modern China’s reform era echoes this. Deng Xiaoping’s vision of “reform and opening up” unleashed decades of growth. President Xi Jinping similarly stresses that “opening up brings progress, closing leads to backwardness”. The 15th Plan recommendations reinforce this dialectic: boosting domestic demand “is not opposed to openness,” but rather at a higher level achieves an “内外联动” (internal-external linkage). In other words, China should harness its huge internal market (内需) while remaining a magnet for global cultural currents.

APEC 2025 and Cultural Industries as “Growth Driver”

This year’s APEC dialogue in Gyeongju underlined the urgency of this strategy. For the first time, APEC leaders formally “recognized [cultural and creative industries] as a growth driver for the region”. The Gyeongju Declaration highlights that CCIs contribute to economic growth, jobs and innovation across Asia-Pacific, and emphasizes protecting intellectual property as a key priority. An accompanying ministerial statement (APEC HLD-CCI) notes that Asia’s rich cultural heritage, combined with new tech like AI, is creating economic value and fostering mutual understanding.

For China, this international recognition means cultural products – from films and animation to music and design – are not mere soft power, but tangible economic assets. China’s cultural industry is already huge: in 2024 it had ¥34.4 trillion in assets and over ¥19 trillion in annual revenue. Cultural trade hit ¥1.4 trillion, with Chinese games, animation and designer toys gaining overseas popularity. In sum, China’s CCIs have global scale and influence. The APEC consensus underlines that China should leverage CCIs for both domestic prosperity and regional cooperation, not isolate them.

Policy Principle: “Open Externally, Strengthen Internally”

Applying “对外不关门, 对内强能力” to CCIs means actively engaging global partners while reinforcing China’s own creative capacities:

• Expand Cultural Exchange and Cooperation: Chinese policy should facilitate international collaborations – co-productions, cultural festivals, artist exchanges, and concert tours – under fair terms. For example, Chinese and foreign film co-productions can share know-how but should ensure that creative control, intellectual property rights, and profits are structured so that Chinese teams and audiences benefit. Similarly, joint ventures in music, gaming or design should include technology transfer and training for Chinese creators. APEC’s Cultural Dialogue suggests governments “promote cross-sectoral connections” and open trade in CCIs; China can implement this by reducing unnecessary barriers (e.g. restrictive quotas or opaque licensing) while safeguarding key values.
• Address Legitimate Concerns, Avoid Blanket Bans: Opening up does not mean unchecked content; some screening and local standards are reasonable. But hard bans or “invisible bans” backfired in the past. A decade ago China’s unofficial “K-culture ban” on Korean entertainment (post-THAAD) halted K-pop concerts, dramas and films in China. That ban froze a vibrant avenue of exchange and left Chinese fans turning to underground channels. Now, Chinese and Korean leaders in 2025 have agreed to “expand cultural cooperation,” signaling a thaw. South Korean officials note that while legal issues remain, even diplomatic “courtesy” talks about a future Beijing K-pop concert show the value of dialogue. The lesson is clear: cooperative solutions trump punitive bans. Likewise, recent examples in the West (e.g. the U.S. tech bans) illustrate that cutting off cultural and technological ties hurts mutual interests. China’s strategy should therefore keep doors open for approved foreign artists and content, using clearer regulations rather than blanket exclusions. (For instance, this year China eased music restrictions and welcomed artists like Travis Scott to perform in Macau and Hainan.)
• Retain Value at Home: Cooperation must be structured so that much of the economic and creative “value chain” stays in China. This means strengthening Chinese IP rights, copyright enforcement, and creative industries’ business ecosystems. For example, when global franchises or international brands collaborate with Chinese studios or platforms, contracts should guarantee Chinese co-owners or licensors a fair share of revenue. Chinese companies should develop and own new content (films, games, fashion) even when created with foreign partners. Encouraging domestic streaming and distribution (e.g. via Chinese platforms) can ensure revenues flow back to Chinese creators and investors. In practice, policy could offer tax incentives or subsidies for international joint-ventures that meet certain localization criteria (e.g. local cast, production). Any foreign participation should ultimately help build Chinese creative capacity – in management, technology and talent.
• Invest in “New-Quality Productivity” in CCIs: The 15th Plan will emphasize innovation-led growth. China must pour resources into new forms of cultural production – digital art, gaming, AR/VR experiences, AI-driven content creation – so that domestic CCIs themselves become cutting-edge exporters. As Shanghai’s cultural plan states, the city is “accelerating cultivation of cultural-creative ‘new-quality productive forces’ (新质生产力)” by leveraging AI, blockchain, virtual reality and the metaverse. Supporting such tech infusion into culture multiplies value: for instance, AI-enabled film production can boost efficiency, and immersive tech can create globally marketable experiences (e.g. virtual concerts, digital exhibitions). Nationwide, China should back incubators, provide R&D funding, and develop digital infrastructure (e.g. a cultural “big data” center) so that its culture industry leads next-generation trends. Educating designers, animators and performers in new media and international best practices will also raise domestic quality. In short, an “innovation first” mindset – akin to China’s high-tech push – should extend into arts and entertainment.
• Promote Domestic Cultural Brands: Finally, China should build strong homegrown content that can compete globally, so that growth of CCIs benefits Chinese firms and workers. This can involve creating flagship projects (film franchises, music labels, fashion designers) with global ambitions. For example, co-financing blockbuster movies that showcase Chinese culture, or producing animation targeted at international audiences, can keep significant profits in domestic hands while raising China’s soft power. Similarly, encouraging Chinese pop stars and DJs to tour abroad – under Chinese management – grows reputation and brings foreign currency into Chinese industry channels. The APEC statement’s emphasis on people-to-people connectivity reminds us that popular culture (concerts, sports, art fairs) builds networks as well as business. China should seize this by supporting international festivals in China and sending cultural troupes overseas, keeping creative direction Chinese-led.

Lessons from “Bans” and the Path Forward

History warns against closing culture off. Examples abound: in the past, China itself banned foreign films, only to watch domestic cinema stagnate until liberalization. Conversely, countries that isolate Chinese culture (through quotas or bans on apps/films) often find only resentment and piracy. By contrast, strategic opening can yield surprising dividends. As one Chinese economist notes, during reform China questioned whether opening would “corrupt or consume us” – but “we chose openness and it has been the correct path”. The APEC dialogue echoed this: Peru’s analyst said “history shows opening and diversified markets are more sustainable than any closing policy.”

Applying this pragmatism now means addressing both sides of exchange. For example, if China hosts more international concerts or film shoots, it should also streamline processes (permits, visas) so cultural exchange is seamless. On the flip side, Chinese art export businesses must improve quality and marketing to actually sell abroad, instead of just sending raw content. This mutual approach – inviting the world in responsibly, and sending China’s best culture out – will generate innovations and jobs at home.

Recommendations for Policy and Practice

To implement “对外不关门，对内强能力”, China’s leaders and industry should:

• Expand Institutional Support: Formulate policies that explicitly encourage high-quality foreign collaborations. For instance, include CCIs in trade and cultural diplomacy agendas (as APEC did), and create government-funded co-production schemes (film, TV, gaming) that require equitable Chinese involvement.
• Facilitate Exchange Infrastructure: Invest in venues, platforms and training. Support cultural fairs, international festivals and bilateral creative forums. E.g., extend pilot projects like easing concert licenses (as seen with recent Travis Scott performances) and simplify approvals for film/TV shoots by foreigners in China.
• Protect Domestic Industry: Ensure Chinese creators have strong IP protection and business support (loans, subsidies, legal aid). Strengthen the domestic market with continued promotion of Chinese content (quasi-“cultural coupons” or broadcast quotas) so firms can grow before going global.
• Encourage Innovation and Talent: Fund research at universities and tech centers on digital culture. Promote education in creative arts, computer graphics, music, etc., and invite global experts to collaborate. Develop startups in creative tech (VR, AI art) through incubators and competitions, mirroring initiatives like Shanghai’s “文创上海” program.
• Monitor and Adapt: Use data to track cultural flows and economic impact. If certain bans prove counterproductive (driving underground markets), be ready to lift or revise them. Likewise, highlight successes (Chinese films winning awards, or Chinese pop artists charting abroad) as proof that openness works.

China–South Korea cooperation

The APEC 2025 Seoul summit reaffirmed Asia-Pacific commitments to openness and innovation, even as China–South Korea cooperation expanded in many fields. However, people wonder why no cultural or entertainment MoU was signed. China should now proactively collaborate with South Korea’s vibrant cultural and creative industries (CCI). Such cooperation aligns with China’s new Five-Year Plan (the upcoming “15th” plan) and Xi Jinping’s pledge that China’s doors “will not close”. By opening “cultural channels” to Korea while building China’s own creative capacities, both countries can grow their soft-power, strengthen economic gains at home, and root their friendship ever deeper among the people. In particular, arranging the first major K-pop (“K-wave”) concert in China at the earliest opportunity would be a powerful gesture, signaling a fresh cultural thaw and giving both economies a boost.

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (to be adopted soon) makes culture a top priority: Xinhua notes that accelerating cultural industries and “enhancing Chinese civilization’s influence abroad” will be key tasks. In this context, China–Korea CCI collaboration is both timely and strategic. It leverages Korea’s creative success while helping China achieve its “对外不关门、对内强能力” (open externally, strengthen internally) policy in culture – fostering domestic creative capacity as well as international exchange, and keeping creative value within China’s economy and society.

Strategic Justification

• APEC and Regional Priorities: The APEC summit explicitly identified creative industries as a regional growth engine. The declaration marked the first time CCIs were written into an APEC leaders’ communiqué. By cooperating with Korea – the origin of Hallyu (K-wave) – China can ride this momentum. Bringing Korean entertainment to China aligns with APEC’s themes of “connectivity” and “innovation,” and it signals China’s commitment to inclusive regional growth.
• Alignment with China’s Policy: Chinese policy-makers stress that culture is a pillar of modernization. The upcoming Five-Year Plan explicitly calls to “accelerate development of cultural industries,” cultivate strong cultural enterprises, and empower culture with technology and digitalization. It also orders “orderly advancement of cultural opening to the outside”. Linking with Korea’s CCI advances these goals: it exposes Chinese creators to international best practices (创新, “innovation”) while growing China’s market and brands at home.
• Economic and Soft-Power Gains: Collaboration can generate high-value economic activity. Creative sectors (music, film, gaming, design) have high knowledge content and can spur R&D and exports. By co-producing content, Chinese and Korean firms can create new IP with dual-market appeal, boosting revenue for Chinese companies and retaining profits domestically. Citing APEC’s focus, experts note that making CCIs a common priority ensures shared prosperity rather than zero-sum competition. In short, joint ventures in CCIs expand both economies’ cultural “pie”.
• Deepening People-to-People Ties: Cultural exchange is the bedrock of public support for the bilateral relationship. As leaders stressed on a recent call, “we must deepen people-to-people exchanges, deepen mutual understanding, strengthen the foundation of public opinion,” so that Sino-Korean friendship “roots in the hearts” of both populations. Softening restrictions on Korean stars (the “Korean Wave”) responds to popular sentiment: for years Chinese audiences have eagerly consumed Korean dramas and K-pop, and Korean tourists enjoy visiting China. Early signs of a thaw – such as Korean performances in China for the first time in 8 years – show pent-up demand. The first Korean concert in China mainland (and related fan events) would draw massive crowds and media attention, binding young people’s hearts and resetting cultural affinity. Notably, President Xi personally endorsed the idea of a large-scale K-pop concert in Beijing and has instructed diplomats to facilitate it. This high-level support underscores that cultural events are not mere entertainment but diplomacy: they “help prevent problems” in exchanges and pave the way for broader trust.
• Mutual Capacity Building: A China–Korea CCI partnership also strengthens both sides’ creative ecosystems. Korea excels in content production and tech-driven creativity; China offers scale and investment. Joint training programs, co-production studios, and talent exchanges can transfer skills to China’s emerging creators, fulfilling the Plan’s call to “enhance original creative capacity”. For example, Chinese designers and animators can collaborate with Korean counterparts on gaming and film projects, learning agile production methods and storytelling techniques (创意能力). Meanwhile, Koreans gain access to China’s vast digital platforms and audiences. Economists note that such “horizontal” economic cooperation (moving beyond traditional vertical supply chains) positions both countries to overcome stagnation and co-develop future markets.
• Keeping Value on Chinese Soil: By structuring collaboration carefully, China ensures the financial and intellectual value stays domestic. For instance, China-Korea co-productions can be headquartered in China with Chinese partners holding IP rights, ensuring royalties and spin-offs flow into China’s economy. The Plan’s vision to make culture a domestic growth engine implies Chinese firms should share in any creative “added value.” Aligning with government slogans, cooperative projects should be designed so that Chinese creative enterprises, venues, and platforms reap the benefits, rather than simply importing finished foreign products. This approach fosters sustainable domestic capacity (“强能力”) while China remains open (“不关门”) to cooperation.

Action Plan

• Establish a Bilateral CCI Cooperation Mechanism: Propose a China–Korea Cultural Industries Task Force or annual forum under the foreign ministries or cultural agencies. This should formalize a new MOU (e.g. at the next summit in Shenzhen) explicitly for cultural and creative exchanges. The Task Force would oversee initiatives, resolve regulatory issues (e.g. easing visa/censorship for artists), and monitor co-produced projects. It should align with frameworks like the WTO and RCEP to facilitate cross-border services and IP protection.
• Joint Concerts and Events: Organize flagship events such as a “K-Wave Festival” tour in China and a reciprocal “China Culture Week” in Korea. Xi’s endorsement means approval processes can be streamlined. For example, in November 2025 President Xi signaled he would allow a large K-pop concert in Beijing. Follow through by booking top acts (perhaps from SM or HYBE Entertainment) for arenas in Beijing/Shanghai. Similarly, encourage Chinese pop stars to perform in Korean cities. Use these events to build fan communities and media coverage. As Asia Daily notes, KBS and China’s state broadcaster CMG have agreed to resume joint music shows (“Korea–China song festival”), KBS symphony performances in Beijing, and the Music Bank tour in China. China should facilitate these programs and promote them as goodwill diplomacy.
• Media and Content Co-Production: Expand partnerships between state and private media. Build on the recent KBS–CMG MOU to commission joint TV dramas, films, animations, and digital series. For instance, co-finance a Chinese-Korean historical drama or a youth series featuring bilingual characters. The bilateral fund could support up to 50% of budgets if the project benefits both markets. Ensure Chinese companies co-own copyrights so profits and IP remain shared. Leverage China’s streaming platforms (iQIYI, BiliBili) and Korea’s global networks to launch co-productions widely.
• Talent and Industry Exchanges: Launch exchange programs for writers, directors, game developers, and designers. For example, Chinese cultural ministries could fund scholarships for talented youth to intern at Seoul film/animation studios, and vice versa. Host annual “China–Korea CCI Summit” for entrepreneurs to pitch joint projects. Support joint venture incubation: e.g. a Shanghai–Seoul “Creative Hub” where startups from both sides collaborate on VR content, gaming, or fashion. Encourage tour partnerships between Chinese and Korean universities offering creative arts degrees.
• Marketing and Tourism Synergies: Tie creative events to tourism. A Korea pop concert in Beijing can be packaged with travel deals to Seoul, promoting cultural tourism both ways. Similarly, festivals of Chinese culture (martial arts films, heritage crafts) in Korea can boost Chinese tourism. Streamline visa rules further (building on China’s unilateral visa-free policy) to facilitate fan travel. Use Chinese social media (Weibo, Douyin) and Korean platforms (Naver, Kakao) to jointly market releases and tours, creating a shared “media space.”
• Intellectual Property and Infrastructure: Strengthen IP agreements to protect jointly developed works. Consider special tax incentives or funding (from cultural development funds) for collaborations that retain IP in China. Build on China’s cultural reform policy by revising any remaining “protectionist” rules so Chinese venues and broadcasters can freely host approved Korean content. Invest in technology: for example, Chinese tech firms could work with Korean counterparts on 5G/AR concerts or gaming, turning China’s market scale into a global testing ground.
• Leverage APEC Framework: Finally, use China’s 2026 APEC Chairmanship (Shenzhen) to spotlight CCI cooperation. Propose a cultural-creative industries sub-forum at APEC 2026, showcasing joint projects and signing new “soft” agreements. By making culture a headline at APEC China Year, Beijing can reinforce both regional leadership and its policy “door opening” pledge.

China–Korea CCI collaboration offers a win-win path: it amplifies China’s modernization goals and opens new markets, while strengthening Korea’s access to China’s huge cultural economy. This approach fully embodies the spirit of 对外不关门、对内强能力: China remains open to Korea’s cultural strengths even as it bolsters its own creative capacity. The two nations’ leaders have already signaled support – from pledges to deepen people-to-people ties to explicit approval of high-profile concerts. Moving ahead swiftly (for example, by staging the first joint K-pop concert in China) will cement popular goodwill, keep creative value in China’s market, and power the future co-development of both countries’ CCIs. In short, this cultural renaissance will enrich both societies and make the Sino-Korean partnership more resilient, creative, and deeply rooted in mutual understanding.

Conclusion

In sum, China’s cultural vitality depends on both opening to the world and building from within. The 15th Five-Year Plan era should see China confidently exchange culture internationally, while channeling those exchanges into domestic innovation and industry strength. By heeding Xi’s counsel that China’s door will not be shut and by treating cultural cooperation as a two-way street, China can ensure that “the values are kept in China’s own hands” through shared but balanced partnerships. This approach – openness with capability – will help China’s CCIs become a true engine of both national pride and economic progress.