Ministerial Visit (China) (Hansard, 10 November 1999)

§ Mr. Chris Smith

[holding answer 9 November 1999]: I visited China earlier this year, from 27 April to 6 May. I was accompanied by a delegation of leading figures from the UK television, music and film industries.

The objectives of the visit were: to create among UK creative industries an improved understanding of China and its way of doing business, to outline to the Chinese what the UK could offer; and to raise the issue of piracy and encourage the Chinese authorities to maintain their efforts to tackle this problem.

The visit produced some positive outcomes which officials from my Department are taking forward in collaboration with the appropriate contacts from the business community. These include: agreement from State Administration for Radio Film and TV to proceed with the idea of National Film and Television School (NFTS) student scholarships under which 4-6 top Chinese students will be given a bursary to attend a one-year NFTS training school; agreement on developing ideas for greater exchange of television product between China and the UK; commitment by the Ministry of Culture to expanding the cultural exchange programme between China and the UK; possibility of running a festival of films produced by the Xian film studios; agreement to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) providing a training programme for National Copyright Association of China (NCAC) officials on how to deal with piracy; the development of greater understanding of and commitment to the creative industries agenda by both the British Embassy and British Council staff in China; a number of specific business deals initiated or concluded by BBC Worldwide and other companies represented on the visit; and a greater appreciation of the benefits of a joint political/business approach to doing business in China—and an awareness of cultural events which also provide a business spin-off.