Second, as the foundation of rejuvenation, the cultural industry can enjoy uptrend against difficulties. Resources and funds are both limited but originality is infinite, which is just the basic core of the cultural industry. Different from other industries, the cultural industry has fewer bubbles and is less dependent on materials or capital. It doesn’t have such large pressure as other fields have in the trend of the financial crisis. Though the structure of social cultural demand has changed, the total volume of cultural demand is on the rise, leading to contrarian development of the cultural industry and becoming the economic growth point and breakthrough of economic rejuvenation. Since this crisis, the general manufacturing export trade has suffered a big impact, but at the same time, Chinese cultural industries have achieved satisfactory increases. In the first quarter of 2009, the average growth rate of cultural industries reached 17 percent, of which growth in public consumption like films, books and theaters amounted above 20 percent.

Third, as a long term strategy, culture plays an important role in enhancing citizens’ qualities and national soft power. In today’s world, culture is increasingly working as the key source of national cohesion and national creativity as well as the major factor for comprehensive competition of countries. Many countries in emerging markets jointly have the problem of coordinating national qualities with rapid economy development, and they are in need of more long term views to transform risks into opportunities. They need to consolidate national soft power and sharpen their edges through cultural development. More intensive participation by citizens in culture can stimulate imagination and innovation so as to enhance people’s qualities, offering infinite dynamic energy for social development. III. The strategic opportunities for Asian cultural development

An ancient Chinese philosopher, Laotze, once said “Misfortune, that is where happiness depends; happiness, that is where misfortune underlies.” Observing the crisis from this scientific development view, we are convinced that development of Asian cultures is faced with not only challenges but also major opportunities.

First, the reallocation of social resources. As the financial crisis spreads further, the costs of production materials, human resources, capital flows decrease and are all in the need of reintegration and reallocation. It makes reallocation of materials and public resources possible to access cultural development. Simultaneously, the culture, especially the “counter-cyclical development” of cultural industries in the crisis, wins more attention so that it may increase cultural attraction and spur governmental and private investors to reassess the condition, which will be beneficial for talents flowing to cultural industries. There have been some countries investing in culture by governmental funds or sovereign funds because they believe it can effectively promote economic recovery.

Second, the demand for public culture is strong. We have all heard of an interesting economic phenomena called the “lipstick effect” which means the lipsticks enjoy apparently good sales, though in downturn economy, for the reason that they make people feel happy. In an economic crisis, common cultural products are the same as the “lipsticks” comforting our minds, so they are popular in the public. The total demand for culture is on the rise when the macro economy suffers crisis. For example, mass cultural activities are more active than ever, or the consumption of films and games obviously increase. In China, the actual sales income of the online games market totaled 18.33 billion yuan, an increase of 22.9 percent compared with 2007. The film box office amounted 4.215 billion yuan in 2008, unprecedentedly ranking Top Ten in global box office revenues. Third, culture can accelerate the industrial adjustments. In recent years, there are overheated transactions in Asian artwork auctions and export trade. International investors are into short-term speculation when the industrial chain within the region of artwork is incomplete. The terminal consumption mainly relies on outside demands and purchasing ability. In a crisis, the shrinking of external demand in the artwork industry, as in manufacturing, directly affects industrial development. Under the circumstance of global economic crisis, various questions during the development of cultural industries are exposed, stimulating self-examination in the whole industry and benefiting the optimization of cultural consumption, industrial adjustments and the healthy development of culture. Forth, the comprehensive influence of Asian culture is strengthened. When the financial crisis exploded, the major economies across the world took coordinated action and positively carried out diverse measures in order to slow the speed of decline and defend against bank and credit industry failures. Many Asian countries, including China, have won extensive appreciation because of their pragmatic attitude and high sense of responsibility when responding to the risks. As a responsible country, China has adapted many packages of plans and measures which benefit the country or region or even the whole world economy. China also takes positive participation in actions to deal with crisis together with international communities and makes the best possible contribution to rejuvenate the world economy. The characteristics and models of Asian development have become hot issues enjoying heated discussion so the international community is more responsive to Asian voices than ever. For Asian cultures, all these efforts have laid a good foundation for their exchanges and influences across the world in the coming years, have paved the way for them to enter the global market, and have created new opportunities for promoting Asia’s overall image and enhancing its international competitiveness.

So the challenges and chances coexist in the global economic crisis. The development of Asian cultures is embracing historic opportunities. Therefore, China is willing to take the responsibility to carry forward outstanding traditional cultures and concern with the general welfare of people in Asia together with other Asian countries, taking positive action and sincerely proposing the following suggestions: