Ministry of Culture

The Ministry of Culture of the PRC reports directly to the State Council, with corresponding agencies in cities and provinces. Sun Jiazheng is the Minister. Major duties of the ministry are studying and drafting policies and regulations; making strategic plans; overseeing literary and artistic creation and production; administering community and ethnic cultural undertakings; supervising public libraries, museums and Internet cafés; coordinating the work of excavating, preserving and protecting cultural relics; promoting cultural exchange programmes and cooperative activities with Chinese territories and foreign countries.

To carry out these and housekeeping duties, the Ministry of Culture is divided into thirteen departments, including those of Policies and Regulations, Planning and Finance, Personnel, Art, Education and Technology, Cultural Market, Cultural Industry, Community Cultural Services, and Cultural Liaison. The State Bureau of Cultural Relics reports to the ministry, its head being a member of the ministerial leadership. The bureau’s functions are to excavate, study and protect cultural relics; provide public services and educational programmes; report historical cultural sites to the United Nations for preservation; and administer foreign affairs relating to cultural relics and promote cooperation and exchanges.

The Ministry of Culture has fifty-five research and operative institutions under its direct supervision, such as the Art Studies Institute of China, Centre of Cultural Exchange of China, Chinese Orchestra, Central Academy of Art, and Literature and Art Publishing House. The ministry has built three Internet portals and six websites, including China Culture Information Net, Digital Library, and Management of Chinese Community Cultural Activities.

HU MINGRONG