The “New Three Cultural Exports”: Going Global and Making Inroads — An Interview with MEI Jingzhong, Former Deputy Director of the Department of Lite

Expert Introduction:

　　Mei Jingzhong, a professor at the Central Party School (National Academy of Governance) and the former deputy director of the Department of Literature and History Teaching and Research. He has long been engaged in teaching and research on topics related to Chinese literature (classic Chinese studies) and traditional culture for leading cadres, and is committed to research on the transformation of excellent traditional Chinese culture, literary appreciation art, and writing studies.

　　The government work report of Zhejiang Province proposed to accelerate the construction of a high - quality development and overseas expansion experimental zone for the "new three cultural sectors", and enhance the communication and influence of Chinese civilization. As the core force in the new track of Zhejiang's cultural industry, the "new three cultural sectors" represented by online literature, online games, and online audio - visual content are sailing overseas with the unique advantage of "culture + technology", becoming an important carrier to connect Chinese and foreign civilizations and activate development momentum. How to promote the better "going global" of the "new three cultural sectors" and enhance the overseas influence of Chinese culture? A reporter from this newspaper interviewed Professor Mei Jingzhong, the former deputy director of the Department of Literature and History Teaching and Research at the Central Party School (National Academy of Governance), on this issue.

Going overseas is the value sublimation of the "new three cultural sectors"

　　Reporter: The Two Sessions in Zhejiang Province clearly proposed to "accelerate the construction of a high - quality development and overseas expansion experimental zone for the 'new three cultural sectors'". How do you view its importance?

　　Mei Jingzhong: This deployment accurately grasps the pulse of the development of the cultural industry in the era. The core advantage of the "new three cultural sectors" lies in the "digital gene + cultural core". It not only conforms to the acceptance habits of the global young audience but also breaks through the time and space limitations of traditional cultural communication. For Zhejiang, going overseas is not simply "product output" but the in - depth dissemination of cultural values and the upgrading of the industrial ecosystem. Zhejiang has a profound cultural heritage such as Liangzhu Culture and Song - Dynasty - charm Culture, as well as the first - mover advantage in the digital economy. The overseas expansion of the "new three cultural sectors" is the key path to transform these two major advantages into development advantages. It can not only let the world see the cultural charm of Zhejiang as an "important window" but also inject lasting spiritual motivation and economic vitality into the construction of the common prosperity demonstration area.

Zhejiang has the strength to create world - class cultural IPs

　　Reporter: In your opinion, what foundations and conditions does Zhejiang have to promote the overseas expansion of the "new three cultural sectors"?

　　Mei Jingzhong: Zhejiang's advantages are reflected in two major dimensions: "profound heritage" and "complete ecosystem". First, it has a profound cultural resource heritage and strong transformability. The ideological wisdom of the Eastern Zhejiang School, the practical philosophy of Yangming Culture, and the humanistic heritage of Wu - Yue Culture provide an inexhaustible source of inspiration for online literature creation and game development. For example, the exploration of Ningbo Kaku Animation to deeply dig into the story of Wang Anshi's governance in Yin County to create animations and Shangyu's exploration to develop film and television content based on red culture are all successful practices of the creative transformation of traditional culture.

　　Second, the digital industry has strong support and a complete ecosystem. Currently, Zhejiang has many enterprises related to AI and VR/AR. Leading enterprises such as NetEase Games and Zhongnan Cartoon are leading the industry development. "Black Myth: Wukong" has won multiple international awards, which proves that Zhejiang has the strength to create world - class cultural IPs. More importantly, Zhejiang is building an industrial development ecosystem centered on "policy guidance + enterprise as the main body + platform support", providing a foundation and support for the "new three cultural sectors" to go global.

Further strengthen innovation in content, channels, and technology

　　Reporter: In your opinion, in which aspects does Zhejiang need to continue to make efforts for the overseas expansion of the "new three cultural sectors" in the next step?

　　Mei Jingzhong: For cultural products to go overseas, they not only need to "go out" but also "go in". To change from one - way output to truly entering the overseas market, we need to focus on three key aspects.

　　First, adhere to the "root and soul" of content innovation. The core of the overseas expansion of the "new three cultural sectors" is to tell good Zhejiang stories that can resonate across cultures. We should innovate the way of expression and avoid simply piling up cultural symbols. For example, "Smile with the Song" interprets Oriental aesthetics through the narrative of ancient - style love. It has topped the playback volume in the North American and Southeast Asian markets, and the topic playback volume on TikTok has exceeded 10 billion times. This creative idea of "small incision, great emotion" is worthy of promotion. It is recommended to deeply explore cultural IPs such as "The Complete Collection of Chinese Paintings through the Ages" and conduct secondary creation in a narrative way loved by young people to let traditional culture regain its vitality in the digital age.

　　Second, build a "bridge for overseas expansion" with multiple collaborations. It is recommended to accelerate the exploration of an innovative model of "self - controlled communication matrix + overseas platform distribution", strengthen channel integration, and make it more convenient for high - quality content to "go overseas". For example, make full use of Ningbo's cross - border trade advantages to build a dual - hub distribution channel for domestic and overseas markets; use platforms such as the Yangtze River Delta Cultural Industry Expo to promote the in - depth integration of the "new three cultural sectors" with the e - commerce and cultural tourism industries. In addition, as a regional intellectual property trade center, Hong Kong is an important springboard for Zhejiang's cultural products to go overseas. It is recommended to deepen cross - border digital cultural trading cooperation between Zhejiang and Hong Kong and improve the copyright protection mechanism so that the "new three cultural sectors" can go global with confidence.

　　Third, strengthen the "accelerator" of technological innovation. Technologies such as AI and VR/AR can not only improve the creation efficiency but also create immersive communication scenarios. It is recommended to accelerate the construction of a cultural and tourism digital asset library and use digital twin and metaverse technologies to develop interactive experience platforms so that overseas audiences can feel the charm of Zhejiang culture and even Chinese culture through participation.

(Source: Zhejiang Daily   Editor: Ma Chicheng)