China is doubling down on its ambition to become a global cultural leader by 2035, blending ancient heritage with cutting-edge tech . From virtual museum tours to viral Kuaishou dramas, the country is rewriting the playbook on soft power.
Xi’s Vision: Culture + Innovation = Superpower
President Xi Jinping called cultural development \"the soul of national rejuvenation\" this week during a high-level CPC meeting. The strategy? Merge China’s 5,000-year legacy with today’s TikTok-generation trends like online gaming and hip-hop talk shows.
Why This Matters Globally 
Beijing Jiaotong University’s Zhao Wei breaks it down: A true cultural powerhouse needs three things → civic literacy (think bookish Gen-Z), competitive creative industries (looking at you, Genshin Impact), and global cultural sway (cue Chinese sci-fi blockbusters).
China’s already flexing: Cloud museums attracted 1.2B visits last year, while Tencent’s gaming empire dominates global app stores. Next frontier? Making Confucius cool again – but with VR headsets.
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China advances its efforts to be a cultural powerhouse by 2035
cgtn.com