Mr. Xu Zongheng
President of Organizing Committee of the ICIF & Mayor of Shenzhen
Aug 11, 2005

Distinguished guests, dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,

We are honored today to have all you distinguished guests and friends from the press, from the culture and the business circles both home and abroad. On behalf of the Organizing Committee of the ICIF, the CPC Shenzhen Committee and Shenzhen Government, I would like to take this opportunity to extend to you my sincere gratitude and warm welcome.

The 1st Shenzhen International Cultural Industry Fair was successfully held last November. The ICIF 2004 provided a basic platform for exhibition, trading and information exchanges of the cultural industry, and also laid down a good foundation for the growth and development of the ICIF. After the closing of the ICIF 2004, we have been actively preparing for the ICIF 2006 by carefully studying our experiences and weak points and in accordance to the instructions from leading officials in the Central Government. Just now, the Organizing Committee of the ICIF 2006 had the first general meeting, and concluded that the ICIF 2006 are to be held in Shenzhen from May 18 to 21, 2006. Now I am going to brief you on the overall arrangements and preparation progress of the ICIF 2006.

A. The name, organizers and co-organizers of the ICIF 2006.

The ICIF, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the PRC, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television of the PRC, the General Administration of Press and Publication of the PRC, Guangdong Provincial People's Government and Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, is China's only state-level exhibition on the cultural industry. In order to highlight its state-level standard and its "professional, marketized and international" features, the name of the ICIF will be changed from "Shenzhen International Cultural Industry Fair" into "China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Fair" commencing from the ICIF 2006.

The organizers of the ICIF 2006 are Shenzhen Press Group, Shenzhen Media Group, Shenzhen Publishing Group and a newly established permanent organization-Shenzhen International Cultural Industry Fair Co., Ltd. The co-organizers include Shenzhen Handicrafts and Arts Association, Shenzhen Municipal Performing Art Company, etc.

B. The date and venue of the ICIF 2006.

The ICIF will be held every year instead of every two years commencing from its 2nd session. The ICIF will then be held in May 18-21 every year, lasting for four days each time. This date is deliberately away from the date of the annual China Hi-Tech Fair in each October, so that the two events each becomes a highlight for every half year.

Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, with a total area of 105,000 M2 for over 4,500 booths, will be the main venue for the ICIF 2006. Sub-venues will be located in Dafen Oil-painting Village in Buji County, Longgang District and Shenzhen Book Center. A series of cultural celebration activities will also be launched.

C. The operation strategies for the ICIF 2006.

a. To build a comprehensive platform for the cultural industry. Based on the ICIF 2004, we are to make the ICIF a comprehensive platform for exhibition of China's cultural products, trading of elements of the cultural industry, and exchanges of cultural information, so as to promote the development of the cultural industry.

b. To operate the event in a marketized way. A Shenzhen International Cultural Industry Fair Co., Ltd has been established to organize the ICIF. The company will be operating in line with the market norms while catering for the requirements of both domestic and international markets of cultural consumption.

c. To insist on organizing the ICIF in a professional way. The relations between "being comprehensive" and "being professional" will be carefully balanced. It is those professional companies, business associations and intermediary organizations that are responsible for the detailed managements. The ICIF 2006 will be arranged according to varieties of industry sectors. The exhibition halls, such as China Cultural industry Achievement Trade Hall, Animation and Game Hall, Creative Design Hall, Media Technology Hall, Chinese Publications Hall, Arts and Crafts Hall, International Performing Arts Hall and Vocational Education Hall, are all with their unique features. In order to meet the needs of both professional visitors and ordinary visitors, the ICIF 2006 will be open to the former for the first two days and to the latter for the other two days.

d. To enhance the trading function of the ICIF and to increase the trade volume. The principle of "buying matters" is followed in the arrangement of the ICIF 2006, i. e. all exhibited items must have their specific target buyers.

In addition, a "China Export-oriented Cultural Products Fair" will be set up, pooling excellent cultural products in China. The organizers also join hands with renowned exhibition companies, cultural enterprises, business associations and intermediary organizations from home and abroad in inviting international buyers and investors to the Fair, so as to make the ICIF a showcase of China's cultural products and services, thus to promote the export of them.

D. The major contents and special features of the ICIF 2006.

The ICIF 2006 consists of five major sections: cultural industry exhibitions and trading, cultural industry forums, cultural celebration activities, cultural industry awards and online services. With "creativity" and "science" as the core value, the ICIF will emphasize "cultural products" and to demonstrate concepts of "designed in China" and "created in China". The ICIF 2006 will focus more on fields of designing, movie and television, cartoon and animation, media, performing arts, as well as arts and crafts.

Compared with the ICIF 2006, while bettering the promising "Animation and Cartoon Show" and "Auction for adaptation and distribution rights of radio, movie and TV dramas", the ICIF 2006 also have new contents such as "China Cultural Industry Achievement Fair", "China Design Exhibition", "International Trades of Performing Arts Programs and Exhibition of Performing Facilities", etc. State-level cultural industry awards are also set up in the ICIF 2006. In addition, the website for ICIF will provide services of online exhibition, online trading and online business promotion. The website will be made into a database for fine works of arts, investment projects and information of specialists. Thus it will become a "never-ending" ICIF.

The ICIF 2006 has six major features:

a. To give importance to its guiding function for the industry. Rising sectors such as cartoon and animation, design and media will be emphasized.

b. To enhance its educational function, focusing on the export of China's cultural products and services, exploitation and commercialization of cultural resources, and business promotion for cultural projects.

c. To highlight its authoritativeness. State-level cultural industry awards are set up in the ICIF 2006.

d. To support original works, giving prominence to cultural creativities.

e. To go beyond the limit of time and space by setting up not only a main venue, but also sub-venues, a website and cultural celebration activities.

f. To suit both refined and popular tastes, meeting the needs of professional visitors while being a cultural festival for the public.

Ladies and gentlemen: Compared with the ICIF 2004, the ICIF 2006 will be of a larger scale, with a broader content, better quality and more profound influence. Thus it will be more demanding and to make it a success is a greater challenge to us. However, we are confident and resolute to make the ICIF 2006 an event of high standard with high quality.

First, the support from the central government, Guangdong province and people all across the country is our strong backu p. The preparation of the ICIF 2006 has been supported by the central government, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Culture of the PRC, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television of the PRC, the General Administration of Press and Publication of the PRC, the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and Guangdong Provincial Government. Leading officials from the central government have great expectation for the ICIF, instructing that we should make the ICIF the Chinese Export Commodities Fair (CECF) for China's cultural industry, and that we should take effective measures in promoting the export of cultural products. The Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and Guangdong Provincial Government convened special meetings, coordinated with relevant organizations, gave useful suggestions and made clear instructions on how to ensure the success of the ICIF. Some senior officials from the central government, relative ministries and Guangdong Government come to today's news conference in person. Their presence further reflects their support to the ICIF, and encourages us a lot.

Second, the flourishing cultural industry in China and its great market potential provide with us a rare opportunity for the ICIF. Along with the development of China's economy, Chinese culture has become increasingly influential in the whole world, which is a source of strength and a strong backu p of the uprising of China's cultural industry. China's rising cultural industry has great potential and is in the ascendant, becoming a new economic growth point. The ICIF was born against this historic background, and is bound to grow and become more and more influential, thus will make its due contribution to the development of China's cultural industry.

Third, the favorable development environment in Shenzhen, the support from the CPC Shenzhen Committee, Shenzhen Government and all Shenzhen citizens, together with the experience gained from the success of the ICIF 2004, laid down a solid foundation for the ICIF 2006. After 25 years of rapid growth, Shenzhen has boasted abundant economic strength. In 2004, Shenzhen's GDP was 342.3 billion yuan; per capita GDP was 7161 US dollars, and the local revenue income was 32.1 billion yuan. Shenzhen's cultural industry is also developing very fast. The city has its cutting edge in traditional cultural sectors such as publishing, media, social entertainment and cultural tourism. In particular, supported by the hi-tech industry, Shenzhen has seen great momentum of growth in sectors such as cartoon and animation, online games, and digital movie & television. The cultural industry has become a new economic growth point in Shenzhen. The CPC Shenzhen Committee and Shenzhen Government have long been attaching great importance to developing the cultural industry. Recently, the strategy of "strengthening the city's position with the cultural industry" was defined. The cultural industry is thus regarded as one of the four pillar industries and enjoying support from the government along with the other three ones: hi-tech industry, financial industry and logistics industry. Particularly, the local government and local people have shown their great enthusiasm ever since the launch of the 1st ICIF and have been supporting the preparation for the ICIF 2006. In addition, we have gained experience and developed our coordinating capability from the success of China Hi-Tech Fairs and the ICIF 2004. All in all, a strong economy, the advantages of the cultural industry, favorable development environment and rich experience together laid a solid foundation for the ICIF 2006.

Government departments, enterprises, institutions and individuals from home and abroad have paid much attention to the preparation of the ICIF 2006. Quite a few cultural business companies, intermediary organizations and investment organization have expressed their intention of participation. Some renowned exhibition companies have also started negotiations on our cooperation with them. We sincerely welcome more companies, business associations, and investment organizations from home and abroad for participating in the Fair or other cooperation. Also we would like to take this opportunity to ask for your more attention to the ICIF. We hope that you can tell more about the ICIF so that more and more companies, organizations and individuals committed to the cultural industry can better know about the ICIF and participate in it.

In the end, let us wish a smooth progress of the preparation of the ICIF 2006 and wish the Fair a complete success.

That's all for my briefing. Now I am ready to take your questions.