The Report to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), made by then Party General Secretary Hu Jintao on November 8, 2012, laid out a blueprint for China's future. A comprehensive insight into the key terms in this report will help readers better understand the country's national strategies and its future path. ChinAfrica introduces some of these terms.

A Culturally Advanced Nation

The term "a culturally advanced nation" appears in the report's section on "Developing a Strong Socialist Culture in China." In the future, Chinese culture will not only satisfy the cultural needs of its people, but also have greater international influence.

The report describes culture as "the lifeblood of a nation," which "gives the people a sense of belonging." The culture of a nation embodies its soft power.

To build a culturally advanced nation, "core socialist values" must be strengthened, according to the report. Apart from developing its economy, China will work to satisfy people's needs for cultural products, and enrich their intellectual and cultural lives. Civic morality should also be improved. In addition, the "overall strength and international competitiveness of Chinese culture" must be enhanced, as these are "important indicators of China's power and prosperity, as well as the renewal of the Chinese nation."

In its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), China states its aim to establish a practical and effective public cultural service system that covers both urban and rural areas by 2015. The country will also build 10 influential national-level cultural industry demonstration zones, and cultivate 100 cultural industry clusters with unique features in their respective fields by the same deadline. While working to reach these new targets, the added value of China's cultural industries will double, taking its 2010 value as a baseline. CA

(Source: CCTV News)