On June 20, 2018, JIC Huawen and the Department of Journalism and Communication, Central University of Finance and Economics, in conjunction with JIC Bookstore, launched the Annual Report on the Development of China’s Media Investment (2018) at a conference in Shanghai. With the overarching theme of “Orientation of the Times and Insight into Media Investment“, the event invited experts and scholars from various domains to share their observations on the changes in China’s culture and media investment. They debated on the development and features of China’s media investment sector, shared future trends and investment priorities, and provided new ideas, new insights and new theories for China’s media investment in the new era. 

Speaking at the event, Du Pengfei, Chairman of JIC Huawen said that JIC Huawen, as an operation arm of JIC in the sectors of culture and media, consumer goods services and healthcare, specializes in the investment and research in the fields of culture and media. He added that JIC Huawen is committed to contribute to China’s media investment as well as social and economic development.  To this end, JIC Huawen has released the Annual Report on the Development of China’s Media Investment for four consecutive years, with the aim of boosting strong collaboration among industries, academia and investors, while providing insight into the investment and development opportunities of China’s culture and media industry. 

At the event, Zhang Lulu, chief researcher of JIC Huawen presented the investment highlights in China’s culture and media investment on behalf of the chief editor of the report. She pointed out that China’s culture and media industries have sustained overall rapid growth, digital media has seen accelerated development, and industry convergence has arisen and the institutional structures of the cultural industry has improved. She predicted that four trends would emerge in China’s culture and media industry in 2018. First, there would be new development opportunities for popular vertical industry segments, with the culture and media industry being the driver of economic growth; second, there would be expanded potential for industrial development thanks to the increasing number of policy incentives; third, “Culture ”would herald a new frontier for culture and media industry, producing new engines of growth; and fourth, as technology fuels industry development, new technologies would bring with them new opportunities.

As part of JIC Research Book-Report Series, the Annual Report on the Development of China’s Media Investment is co-authored by JIC Huawen and Department of Journalism and Communication, Central University of Finance and Economics. It has been published for four consecutive years.  As the first research report to provide a comprehensive overview of investment and financing in China’s culture and media industry, it has been well recognized by the industry with positive feedback from the media and the general public.