A new UNCTAD report calls China the worlds largest exporter of “creative goods” with a total figure of USD 89.1 billion in 2005, including Hong Kong’s USD 27.7 billion. Italy was number two with USD 28 billion in 2005. This includes goods such as films, music, traditional crafts, design and architecture, but still is a rather surprising finding. Considering that China bemoans its deficit in cultural products and lack of creativity, this is not what I would expect. Also, China’s government constantly stresses development of innovation to address this deficit. I would have to research further into what categories they are using to come up with these figures. Doesn’t Hollywood export even more than USD 28 billion in one year? Perhaps it doesn’t count as creative. It’s frustrating to see a statistic that doesn’t make sense, but not have time to research why it came into being.
No one doubts the potential in China though. There may not be many well-known Chinese designer brands, but with this country’s love of fashion and the number of young people studying it, the country seems on track to become a source of creativity within the next few years. Reflecting the critical role of China in global fashion, France’s Fashion TV kicks off its global talent search for this Olympic year in China seeking to unlock all of the design genius that might not otherwise find a platform in this competitive industry.
