Cai Wu, Director of the Information Office of the State Council speaks at a translation forum held recently in Beijing |
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| Well, it looks like people are finally catching on to what I’ve been saying for a while now, that China is seriously falling short when it comes to exporting their modern culture. I just found an article about this very thing that was posted on AsiaNewsNet yesterday. |
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| Some people say that the problem is with translation, that not enough Chinese books and magazines are translated into other languages. While that may have a part to play in it (lack of exposure certainly hurts the chances of people being more “in” to modern Chinese culture), I tend to agree with these few paragraphs below, italics mine. |
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| Jin Man, member of CPPCC (Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference), concludes that it’s because of the low quality of cultural products exported abroad, especially those reflecting the contemporary development, values, and zeitgeist. Original works with spiritual depths fall short, and there is also a lack of national strategy, modern marketing operation, and professional talents to integrate the outbound cultural dissemination. |
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| Nonetheless, some scholars hold the idea that the key for the deficit in cultural exchanges is that the mainstream value in China today lacks attraction to foreigners. Good translation and modern packaging are just lesser part of the problem. The exported cultural products in China today are mainly about traditional Chinese culture, highlighted by the success of kungfu movies. |
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| Aside from low-cost shoes and some kungfu stunts, does China have more to offer to the world today? Or is it only because of low-quality translation that thwarted Chinese culture to go abroad? |
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| The answer to the first question is “not much of anything” and the second question, “no”! Chinese goods now have the same reputation that Japanese goods had in the years after WWII, the reputation of being of low quality. And it’s not just in the U.S. that they have this reputation; it’s in other countries, as well. Add to that the fact that the vast majority of the stuff China is exporting is just inferior imitation of something cooler from elsewhere, and it’s no wonder that foreigners aren’t interested in modern Chinese culture. |
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| Get with the program, China. |
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