Recently, the newly released plan for Beijing Pilot Free Trade Zone (BFTZ) brings vitality to the international cultural trade in Beijing. At the same time, efforts are being made at Beijing Tianzhu Free Trade Zone (Tianzhu FTZ) to speed up the implementation of multiple new measures that will benefit cultural trade, in a bid to attract more cultural enterprises to settle at the National Base for International Cultural Trade Beijing.

The BFTZ plan proposed to explore and innovate new mode for the guarantee and supervision of international high-end art exhibits in comprehensive free trade zones, which has been carried out in pilot programs by the Tianzhu FTZ. Previously the entry and exit review of artworks and cultural relics was required to be proceeded at the entry and exit appraisal office of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage, with the artworks temporarily stored in warehouses supervised by the customs. It is concerned that the warehouse are not suitable for delicate artworks that has strict temperature and humidity requirements for storage.

Taking the BFTZ plan into consideration, the National Base for International Cultural Trade Beijing is also actively exploring other measures. Chen Gang, Deputy General Manager of Beijing Cultural Investment Development Group Co., Ltd. and responsible for running the base, said that a digital copyright trading platform is planned according to the Plan so as to promote the digital content trade in the base. The base plans to learn from the mode for entry-exit examination and verification of cultural relics, under which a verification work station would be set up by relevant regulatory authorities to specifically focus on the import and export of film and digital content, so as to facilitate the international trade of digital cultural content.

Besides, the Belt and Road Initiative is a key part underlined in the BFTZ plan. Currently, the construction of venues for the Belt and Road cultural exhibition is accelerated in the National Base for International Cultural Trade Beijing. According to Chen Gang, agreement has been signed with Switzerland to jointly build a Swiss cultural exhibition and trade center. Also,  a Nepalese cultural hall will be built to focus on exhibition and trade of Nepalese characteristic handicrafts. At the same time, the base signed collaboration agreements about venue construction with companies from Japan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India and other countries for the exhibition and trade of cultural art display and transactions. 

(Note: Content source is from Beijing Daily.)