Mapping China: Music - State Policy

The state is important in the PRC, more so than in many other places because it is less restricted by a legal framework and media scrutiny.

Government agencies can be highly entrepreneurial. For instance as land developers (in the PRC all land remains state owned), or as stake-holders in state-owned enterprises (such as CCTV or Gehua) some officials are directly involved in business. However, mostly, the state acts as regulator and commissioner.

The government is not a monolith. Central policy is deliberately vague and open to regional variation and competition between agencies. What is not ok in Beijing might be ok in Kunming, and the police department might veto events sponsored by cultural departments.

Continue Reading

Back to Index page Mapping China: Music