Published by ChinaMNC · Pingyin

What a Jinan Cultural Congress Signals for Foreign Founders Building Creative Businesses in China

A practical look at the Jinan Federation of Literary and Art Circles' seventh congress, and what its priorities mean for foreign founders registering or operating creative companies in China.

Why a Local Cultural Congress Matters to Foreign Founders

Foreign founders often focus on company registration, tax filings and sector licensing, and treat local political gatherings as background noise. That can be a mistake. In China, municipal congresses of cultural and social organizations reveal the priorities, personnel and policy direction that shape how creative and cultural businesses are treated locally. The seventh congress of the Jinan Federation of Literary and Art Circles (Jinan Wenyi Jie Lianhehui), held on October 20 at Shungeng Hall, is a useful case study for founders considering a presence in Jinan or elsewhere in Shandong.

The congress opened with a speech by Liu Qiang, Secretary of the Jinan Municipal Party Committee. Also present were Deputy Secretary and Mayor Yu Haitian, People's Congress Standing Committee Director Han Jinfeng, Deputy Secretary Yang Feng, and municipal leaders Chen Yang, Han Wei, Hu Bing, Yang Li and Liu Xia. Zhao Yiding, Party Secretary and Vice Chairman of the Shandong Writers Association, and Jiang Hui, a member of the provincial federation's Party group and vice chairman, attended as guests. Ma Baoling chaired the opening session.

What the City Said About Cultural Work

Liu Qiang congratulated the congress on behalf of the municipal Party committee and government. He described how, since the federation's sixth congress, cultural organizations at all levels had worked under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the Xi Jinping cultural thought, advancing the “two creatives” (creative transformation and innovative development of traditional culture) and contributing to the city's goal of building a “strong cultural city.” He noted that writers and artists had produced a group of skilled practitioners and a series of works that resonated with the public.

For the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, Liu set out four priorities. First, strengthening ideological and political guidance, deepening theoretical study, improving public communication and holding the ideological front. Second, serving the city's overall development by raising urban cultural soft power, building confidence and cohesion, and improving the quality and reach of cultural benefits for residents. Third, advancing high-quality creative work, keeping people at the center of creative direction, balancing social and economic benefits, expanding the forms and content of artistic creation, and improving original creative capacity. Fourth, strengthening the federation's own construction through reform and innovation, building a talent pool, and making federation work more scientific, institutionalized and standardized.

The Provincial View

Jiang Hui, speaking for the provincial federation, congratulated the congress and urged Jinan's federation and creative workers to hold firm to the correct ideological direction, listen to the times, and stay close to the people — telling Jinan's story of progress and keeping cultural work sustainable. She also called on the Jinan federation to strengthen its organizational building, gather creative talent, speed up the creation of a talent hub for a strong cultural city, and serve as a home for cultural workers.

A representative of the Jinan Federation of Trade Unions delivered congratulations on behalf of municipal mass organizations. Leaders of those organizations, congress delegates and specially invited delegates attended.

Outcomes: New Leadership and a Revised Charter

The congress closed the same afternoon at Shungeng Hall, with Ma Baoling, now also head of the municipal publicity department, speaking. Delegates reviewed and approved the work report of the sixth committee, amended and adopted the Jinan Federation of Literary and Art Circles charter, and elected a new committee.

Wei Xin was elected chairman. Zhou Jing, Liu Yanli, Lin Zhong, Wan Fuyong, Wang Ke, Wang Shengfeng, Wang Yujue, Wu Bo, Zhang A'na, Hou Jingjian and Hai Mo were elected vice chairmen. During discussions, delegates reviewed the main achievements of the past five years and agreed the congress marked a transition point for Jinan's cultural work, committing to further contributions to building a modern socialist provincial capital characterized as “strong, new, excellent, prosperous, beautiful and high.”

Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders

Read local congresses as early signals. The emphasis on cultural soft power, original creative capacity and talent pools suggests continued municipal attention to cultural and creative sectors. Founders in design, publishing, media, performing arts or cultural tourism should track how these priorities translate into local programs.

Understand the federation's role. The Jinan federation is a mass organization with a revised charter and new leadership. It is not a company registration authority, but it can be a relevant counterpart for cultural projects, exhibitions and talent initiatives.

Note the policy vocabulary. Terms such as “15th Five-Year Plan,” “strong cultural city” and “two creatives” indicate the framing local officials use. Familiarity helps when preparing project descriptions or government-facing materials.

Separate cultural engagement from compliance. Nothing in this congress concerns company registration, foreign investment rules, tax or licensing. Those remain governed by separate laws and procedures administered by market regulation, tax and commerce authorities.

Build local relationships early. The presence of municipal leaders, provincial federation officials and mass organizations shows how interconnected local cultural governance is. Founders should expect to engage multiple bodies.

• Verify current registration and licensing requirements with the local market regulation bureau.
• Confirm sector-specific rules before committing to cultural projects.
• Track municipal five-year planning documents for funding and support signals.
• Engage professional advisers for corporate structure and tax matters.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.