The 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held its 37th briefing session on issues of major concern in Beijing on Aug 21, focusing on key tasks for building China into a cultural powerhouse during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period. Jiang Xinzhi, vice-chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, attended the session.

Wang Gang, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said in his briefing that since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to cultural development and made a series of major decisions and arrangements, leading to historic achievements in the country's cultural development.

The 15th Five-Year Plan period is a crucial stage in achieving the goal of building a strong socialist culture in China by 2035, Wang said. He noted that the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee has conducted research on major issues concerning cultural development during the period and assessed the tasks and challenges involved. The department will strengthen coordination, improve working mechanisms, and enhance monitoring, supervision, and evaluation of key tasks.

Wang Jianhua, vice-minister of culture and tourism, said the cultural and tourism sectors developed rapidly and became more closely integrated during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, contributing to advancing the building of a culturally strong nation.

He said the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will make solid progress in planning for high-quality development in the cultural and tourism sectors during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, promote the high-quality development of cultural programs, cultural and tourism industries, and advance the development of China into a strong country in culture and tourism.

During the session, CPPCC National Committee members exchanged views with officials from government departments on issues including the digital and intelligent transformation of cultural development, improving the quality and efficiency of public cultural services, enhancing the global reach and influence of Chinese civilization, and deepening the integration of culture and tourism.

Nie Chenxi, vice-chairman of the Committee on Culture, Historical Data and Studies of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over the session. Deputy secretaries-general of the CPPCC National Committee, CPPCC National Committee members, and representatives of the central committees of non-Communist parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce attended the meeting.