Enhancing Governance Capacity in the Cultural Sphere under the Conditions of Informatization

General Secretary Xi Jinping, during the 17th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee, stressed the need to “enhance governance capacity in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization, and on the ideological, spiritual, and cultural fronts, consolidate the Party’s governing foundation and mass base.” This important exposition accurately grasps the deepening trends of the era—digitalization, networking, and intelligentization—and the far-reaching impact of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation on the cultural sphere. It provides an important guideline for conducting propaganda, ideological, and cultural work under the conditions of informatization and for further improving governance capacity in the cultural sphere.

习近平总书记在二十届中央政治局第十七次集体学习时强调，要“提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力，在思想上、精神上、文化上筑牢党的执政基础和群众基础”。这一重要论述准确把握数字化、网络化、智能化深入发展的时代大势和新一轮科技革命和产业变革对文化领域的深远影响，为信息化条件下做好宣传思想文化工作，进一步提升文化领域治理能力提供了重要遵循。

I. A Profound Understanding of the Significance of Enhancing Governance Capacity in the Cultural Sphere under the Conditions of Informatization

一、深刻认识提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力的重要意义

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “If we cannot pass the test of the internet, we cannot pass the test of long-term governance.” [1]1 This is a well-known remark by Xi Jinping, emphasizing the critical importance of managing the internet for the Party’s long-term governance. At present, new technologies such as informatization, digitalization, and intelligentization are constantly being updated and iterated. They have profoundly changed the modes of information production and dissemination, as well as people’s production and lifestyles, while also bringing unprecedented opportunities and challenges to governance in the cultural sphere. We must deeply understand the significance of enhancing governance capacity in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization.

习近平总书记强调，“过不了互联网这一关，就过不了长期执政这一关”。当前，信息化、数字化、智能化等新技术不断更新迭代，既深刻改变了信息生产、传播方式和人们的生产生活方式，也给文化领域的治理带来前所未有的机遇与挑战，我们要深刻认识提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力的重要意义。

It is an inevitable requirement for advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Culture concerns the foundation of the state and the fortunes of the nation. Governance capacity in the cultural sphere is an important component of national governance capacity. The significant improvement in the modernization level of the governance system and governance capacity in the cultural sphere is one of the important goals of cultural reform and development. Enhancing governance capacity in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization is an inevitable move to conform to the general trend of information technology development, to accurately recognize changes, scientifically respond to changes, and actively seek change. Only by seizing the initiative through conceptual innovation, building new advantages through institutional reform, and creating a strong engine through technological empowerment can we win the initiative and the future under the conditions of informatization.

推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的必然要求。文化关乎国本、国运，文化领域治理能力是国家治理能力的重要组成部分，文化领域治理体系和治理能力现代化水平的显著提升是文化改革发展的重要目标之一。提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力是顺应信息技术发展大势，准确识变、科学应变、主动求变的必然之举。只有在理念创新中把握主动权、在制度变革中构建新优势、在技术赋能中打造强引擎，才能在信息化条件下赢得主动、赢得未来。

It is an inevitable requirement for consolidating the Party’s governing foundation and mass base. Under the conditions of informatization, social ideologies tend to be more diverse, pluralistic, and volatile. The exchange,交融, and confrontation between different cultures and values become more prominent. Cultural dissemination and exchange become more convenient, and people’s cognitive thinking and value concepts undergo profound changes. Establishing leadership amidst diversity, seeking consensus amidst volatility, further mastering the dominant power over public opinion under the conditions of informatization, and broadly凝聚 social consensus are important responsibilities of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. Therefore, only by further improving governance capacity in the cultural sphere can we consolidate the Party’s governing foundation and mass base on the ideological, spiritual, and cultural fronts.

筑牢党的执政基础和群众基础的必然要求。信息化条件下，社会思想意识更趋多元多样多变，不同文化和价值观念交流交融交锋更加突出，文化传播和交流更加便捷，人们的认知思维和价值观念发生深刻变化。在多元中立主导、在多变中谋共识，进一步掌握信息化条件下舆论主导权、广泛凝聚社会共识，是宣传思想文化工作的重要职责。因此，进一步提升文化领域治理能力，才能在思想上、精神上、文化上筑牢党的执政基础和群众基础。

It is an inevitable requirement for further breaking down Western digital hegemony. At present, Western countries, relying on their accumulated advantages in technology and capital, use algorithms, automation, and big data analysis to manipulate public opinion, forming a digital hegemony. The internet has long become the main battlefield of ideological struggle. At the same time, information technology has already broken the spatial and temporal limitations of cultural dissemination. The mutual agitation,交融, and渗透 between different cultures are deepening, and cross-cultural exchanges are becoming more in-depth and convenient. Therefore, enhancing governance capacity in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization is an inevitable requirement for effectively responding to Western digital hegemony, deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and further improving the country’s cultural soft power and enhancing China’s international discourse power.

进一步破除西方数字霸权的必然要求。当前，西方国家凭借其技术和资本的积累优势，利用算法、自动化和大数据分析等方式操纵公众舆论，形成数字霸权，互联网早已成为意识形态斗争的主战场。同时，信息技术早已打破文化传播的时空局限，不同文化之间相互激荡、相互交融、相互渗透不断加深，跨文化交流不断深入、更加便捷。因此，提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力，是有效应对西方数字霸权，深化文明交流互鉴，进一步提高国家文化软实力、提升我国国际话语权的必然要求。

II. A Profound Grasp of the Important Aspects of Governance in the Cultural Sphere under the Conditions of Informatization

二、深刻把握信息化条件下文化领域治理的重要方面

As of December 2024, the number of internet users in China had reached 1.108 billion, and the internet penetration rate had risen to 78.6%, forming the world’s largest and most vibrant digital society. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “Wherever the people are, that is where the focus of propaganda and ideological work should be.” [2]2 This remark by Xi Jinping underscores the principle that propaganda and ideological work should follow the population, which increasingly congregates online. To enhance governance capacity in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization, we must conform to the trends of new technology development and transformation, combine the distinctive characteristics of the internet as a new space for production and life, and grasp the following important aspects.

截至2024年12月，我国网民规模已达11.08亿人，互联网普及率提高至78.6%，形成了全球规模最大、生机勃勃的数字社会。习近平总书记强调，“人在哪儿，宣传思想工作的重点就在哪儿”。提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力，要顺应新技术发展与变革的趋势，结合互联网这一生产生活新空间的鲜明特点，把握好以下重要方面。

Master the dominant power over public opinion under the conditions of informatization and broadly凝聚 social consensus. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “Managing and making good use of the internet is the key to controlling the front of news and public opinion under the new situation.” [3]3 This remark by Xi Jinping highlights the strategic importance of internet management for controlling the news and public opinion landscape. Under the conditions of informatization, cyberspace has become a new space for our Party to凝聚 consensus. To strengthen governance in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization, we must aim to master the dominant power over public opinion and broadly凝聚 social consensus. We must clearly and unequivocally adhere to the correct political direction, public opinion orientation, and value orientation, sing the main theme, and gather positive energy. Faced with possible “noise” and “discordant notes,” we must dare to “draw the sword” on major issues of principle, be good at “defusing bombs” on sensitive and hot issues, actively “guide” in ideological confrontations, and build a public opinion situation that clears the mud and promotes the pure, supports the upright and suppresses the evil, guarding the public opinion front with a fighting spirit. We must do a good job on the major article of media convergence development, build a new type of mainstream media cluster with strong communication power, guidance power, influence, and credibility, and form an online and offline同心圆. [4]4 “同心圆” (concentric circles) is a metaphor used by the CPC to describe the goal of uniting all positive forces and forming a broad consensus online and offline.

掌握信息化条件下舆论主导权，广泛凝聚社会共识。习近平总书记强调，“管好用好互联网，是新形势下掌控新闻舆论阵地的关键”。信息化条件下，网络空间成为我们党凝聚共识的新空间，加强信息化条件下文化领域治理，要以掌握信息化条件下舆论主导权、广泛凝聚社会共识为目标，旗帜鲜明坚持正确政治方向、舆论导向、价值取向，唱响主旋律、集聚正能量。面对可能出现的“噪声”“杂音”，要在重大原则问题上敢于“亮剑”，在敏感热点问题上善于“拆弹”，在思想交锋中积极“引导”，构建起激浊扬清、扶正祛邪的舆论态势，以斗争精神守牢舆论阵地。要做好媒体融合发展这篇大文章，建设具有强大传播力、引导力、影响力、公信力的新型主流媒体集群，形成网上网下同心圆。

Jointly build a beautiful spiritual homeland online, and develop and strengthen mainstream culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “Cyberspace is the common spiritual homeland of hundreds of millions of people.” [5]5 This is a frequently cited remark by Xi Jinping, framing the internet Building a cyberspace that is clear and bright, with a clean and upright atmosphere, is increasingly becoming the common pursuit and expectation of the vast number of netizens. The core socialist values are the concentrated embodiment of contemporary Chinese spirit and the ideological and moral foundation for凝聚 Chinese strength. To strengthen governance in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization, we must adopt an attitude of being responsible to society and the people, adhere to the guidance of the core socialist values, and use the core socialist values and the outstanding achievements of human civilization to nourish people’s hearts and society. We must enhance the ability to use mainstream value orientation to drive “algorithms,” convey correct positions, viewpoints, and methods, guide people to distinguish right from wrong, correct from incorrect, good from bad, good from evil, and beauty from ugliness, ensuring abundant positive energy and a high-pitched main theme.

共建网上美好精神家园，发展壮大主流文化。习近平总书记强调，“网络空间是亿万民众共同的精神家园”。建设天朗气清、风清气正的网络空间，越来越成为广大网民共同的追求和期待。社会主义核心价值观是当代中国精神的集中体现，是凝聚中国力量的思想道德基础。加强信息化条件下文化领域治理，要本着对社会负责、对人民负责的态度，坚持以社会主义核心价值观为引领，用社会主义核心价值观和人类优秀文明成果滋养人心、滋养社会。要提升用主流价值导向驾驭“算法”的能力，传达正确的立场、观点、方法，引导人们分清是非、对错、好坏、善恶、美丑，做到正能量充沛、主旋律高昂。

Use digital intelligence to enhance the inclusiveness and accessibility of cultural services. The people are the service objects and goals of cultural construction. Facing the contradiction between cultural supply and demand, in recent years, China has actively promoted cultural informatization and cultural digitalization. The construction of the National Public Cultural Cloud Platform, smart radio and television, smart libraries, and smart museums has been advanced in depth. Online cultural consumption such as cloud exhibitions, cloud theaters, and cloud tourism has emerged and flourished. New business forms such as short videos and live streaming have developed rapidly. China’s digital content industry has developed rapidly, and the quality of digital cultural supply has continuously improved. However, it must also be recognized that differences in the supply of cultural services between regions, urban and rural areas, and population groups still exist, and the imbalance of cultural resources remains relatively obvious. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party clearly proposed to “establish a mechanism for high-quality cultural resources to directly reach the grassroots level.” [6]6 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in July 2024 and focused on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese-path modernization. To strengthen governance in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization, we must proceed from the people’s growing needs for a better life, take ensuring the people’s basic cultural rights and interests and meeting the people’s diverse, high-quality spiritual and cultural needs as the foothold, continuously strengthen the construction and sharing of cultural data resources, fully leverage the advantages of digital intelligence technology, comprehensively improve the quality and level of cultural service supply, and enhance the people’s sense of cultural gain and happiness.

以数智化提升文化服务的普惠性、可及性。人民是文化建设的服务对象和目标。面对文化供需矛盾，近年来，我国积极推进文化信息化、文化数字化建设，国家公共文化云平台、智慧广电、智慧图书馆、智慧博物馆等建设深入推进，云展览、云剧场、云旅游等线上文化消费出新出彩，短视频、直播等新业态快速发展，我国数字内容产业飞速发展，数字文化供给质量不断提升。但也要认识到，当前我国文化服务供给的地域、城乡、人群之间差异仍旧存在，文化资源不均衡状况仍比较明显。党的二十届三中全会明确提出要“建立优质文化资源直达基层机制”，加强信息化条件下文化领域治理，要从人民日益增长的美好生活需要着眼，以保障人民基本文化权益，满足人民多元化、高品质的精神文化需求为落脚点，不断加强文化数据资源建设与共享，充分发挥数智技术优势，全面提升文化服务供给质量与水平，提升群众的文化获得感和幸福感。

Continuously enhance China’s cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture. As China increasingly moves closer to the center of the world stage, countries around the world are also more eager to gain an in-depth understanding of China and look forward to hearing China’s voice on major international issues. An important aspect of strengthening governance in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization is to gradually enhance China’s international discourse power, so that it matches China’s comprehensive national strength and international status, and enables the world to better understand and comprehend China. We must leverage the advantages of internet communication, actively innovate communication technologies, content, strategies, and mechanisms, and through the coordinated development of data, algorithms, and computing power, gradually build an external communication network that can efficiently and accurately achieve information generation, analysis, distribution, and optimization. We must use diversified, scenario-based, and intelligent cyberspace to create more persuasive, infectious, and empathetic modes of expression, effectively enhancing communication effectiveness and international influence.

不断提升我国文化软实力和中华文化影响力。随着我国日益走近世界舞台中央，世界各国也更加期待深入了解中国，期盼在重大国际问题上听到来自中国的声音。加强信息化条件下文化领域治理，一个重要方面就是要逐步提升我国的国际话语权，使之同我国综合国力和国际地位相匹配，让世界更好了解中国、读懂中国。要发挥互联网传播优势，积极创新传播技术、内容、策略与机制，通过数据、算法、算力的协同发展，逐步建构起能够高效、精准地实现信息生成、分析、分发和优化的对外传播网络。要借助多样化、场景化、智能化的网络空间，创造更有说服力、感染力、共情力的表达方式，有效提升传播效能与国际影响力。

III. Thoroughly Study and Implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, and Comprehensively Enhance Governance Capacity in the Cultural Sphere under the Conditions of Informatization

三、深入学习贯彻习近平文化思想，全面提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力

The new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is advancing in depth. A series of new phenomena and problems emerging in the development of the cultural sphere have placed higher demands on governance capacity in the cultural sphere. We must thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, grasp the laws of cultural production and dissemination under the deepening development of digitalization, networking, and intelligentization, and comprehensively enhance governance capacity in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization.

新一轮科技革命和产业变革深入推进，文化领域在发展过程中出现的一系列新现象新问题，对文化领域治理能力提出了更高的要求。我们要深入学习贯彻习近平文化思想，把握数字化、网络化、智能化深入发展下的文化生产与传播规律，全面提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力。

Always uphold the leadership of the Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed,

始终坚持党的领导。习近平总书记强调，“中国共产党的领导是中国特色社会主义最本质的特征，是中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势”。党的领导是提升文化领域治理能力、推动文化繁荣兴盛的最根本、最可靠的保证。提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力，必须充分发挥党的领导核心作用，把党管宣传、党管意识形态、党管媒体、党管互联网原则落实到位，确保文化领域治理方向不变、道路不偏。要充分发挥党总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心作用，把坚持党的全面领导贯穿于文化体制机制改革的各方面、全过程，贯穿于文化治理体系完善、文化政策制定与执行、文化资源配置与利用等各个环节，为提升文化领域治理能力提供坚强政治保障。

Follow the mass line online. Popular sentiment is the most important political consideration. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed that “we must always insist that cultural construction focuses on the people and lands on the people.” The development of digital technology has profoundly changed the mode of social governance and has also provided more possibilities for the people to participate deeply in the governance of the cultural sphere. Therefore, to enhance the capacity for governance in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization, we must adhere to the people-centered development philosophy and follow the mass line online in the New Era. We must uphold the basic approach oriented toward a “user-centered” perspective, focus on meeting the diverse, multi-level, and multi-faceted spiritual and cultural needs of the people, and use technical means such as “user profiling” to continuously optimize the supply model of cultural services. We must actively build platforms for the people to participate in cultural construction, broaden the channels for participation, fully stimulate the people’s initiative, creativity, and enthusiasm in the governance of the cultural sphere, and continuously enhance the people’s sense of agency and level of participation in the governance of the cultural sphere.

走好网上群众路线。民心是最大的政治。习近平总书记强调，“要始终坚持文化建设着眼于人、落脚于人”。数字技术的发展深刻改变了社会治理方式，也为人民群众深入参与文化领域治理提供了更多可能性。因此，提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力，必须坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，走好新时代网上群众路线。要秉持以“用户中心”为导向的基本思路，着眼满足人民群众多样化、多层次、多方面的精神文化需求，借助“用户画像”等技术手段，不断优化文化服务供给模式。要积极搭建群众参与文化建设的平台，拓宽参与渠道，充分激发人民群众在文化领域治理方面的积极性、主动性、创造性，不断提升广大人民群众参与文化领域治理的主体意识与参与水平。

Highlight multi-subject collaborative governance. Governance of the cultural sphere is a comprehensive and systematic project. To enhance the capacity for governance in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization, we must combine various means such as economic, legal, and technical measures, fully leverage the role of each subject, and build a multi-subject collaborative governance structure featuring Party committee leadership, government management, enterprise responsibility, social supervision, and netizen self-discipline. We must coordinate the relationship between an effective government and an efficient market, giving full play to the government’s functions of coordinating and allocating resources, forward-looking planning, and macro-management; we must consolidate the primary responsibility of cultural enterprises and further strengthen industry self-discipline; we must encourage the broad masses of netizens to participate in the construction of a healthy online culture and actively engage in cultural governance. We must continuously enhance the capacity and willingness of multiple subjects to engage in collaborative governance, promote the forward deployment of governance tentacles and the reshaping of governance processes, drive the transformation toward whole-process governance covering pre-event, in-event, and post-event stages, achieve the unification of managing content, managing behavior, and managing subjects, improve the systematic nature and effectiveness of cultural governance, and build a cultural ecology that encourages the production of high-quality content.

突出多主体协同治理。文化领域治理是一项综合性、系统性工程，提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力，必须将经济、法律、技术等多种手段结合起来，充分发挥各主体作用，构建起党委领导、政府管理、企业履责、社会监督、网民自律的多主体协同治理格局。要统筹有为政府和有效市场的关系，发挥好政府统筹调配资源、前瞻布局、宏观管理职能；要压实文化企业主体责任，进一步强化行业自律；要鼓励广大网民参与网络文明建设，积极参与文化治理。要不断增强多元主体协同治理的能力和意愿，推动治理触角前置、治理流程重塑，推动事前、事中、事后的全过程治理转变，实现管内容、管行为、管主体统一，提高文化治理的系统性和有效性，构建鼓励优质内容生产的文化生态。

Strengthen the rule of law in the cultural sphere. Fully leveraging the guiding, regulating, and safeguarding role of the rule of law helps to promote the building of a strong cultural country in a more robust and orderly manner. Information technology is developing rapidly. Facing the rapid development of digital technology, the metaverse, artificial intelligence, and the like, China’s cultural rule-of-law construction still has some shortcomings. The connection between relevant laws and regulations and those on intellectual property, cybersecurity, data governance, and so forth is not smooth, and the rule-of-law construction on issues such as data security, privacy protection, scientific and technological ethics, and algorithmic fairness is still insufficient. To enhance the capacity for governance in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization, we must give full play to the role of the rule of law in guiding the direction and setting the boundaries for the development of cultural undertakings, closely integrate with the new phenomena and new problems emerging in the cultural sphere, promptly follow up with the introduction of relevant laws and regulations, effectively improve the targeting, applicability, and operability of legislation in the cultural sphere, and promote the standardization and law-based governance of culture through a scientific, complete, coordinated, and efficient cultural legal system.

加强文化领域法治建设。充分发挥法治的引领、规范、保障作用，有助于推动文化强国建设更加有力、有序。信息技术发展日新月异，面对数字技术、元宇宙、人工智能等的迅速发展态势，我国文化法治建设仍存在一些不足，相关法律法规与知识产权、网络安全、数据治理等法规衔接不畅，数据安全、隐私保护、科技伦理和算法公平等问题的法治建设还不够完善。提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力，必须发挥法治对文化事业发展的方向引导和边界设定作用，紧密结合文化领域出现的新现象新问题，及时跟进出台相关法律法规，切实提高文化领域立法的针对性、适用性、可操作性，以科学完备、协同高效的文化法律制度推动文化治理规范化、法治化。

Empower content management with new technologies. Content management is an important aspect of cultural governance. Under the conditions of informatization, content innovation in the cultural sphere is constant. The integration of culture and technology has greatly expanded the carriers and forms of cultural products and enhanced the efficiency of cultural content production, but it has also brought objective problems such as the mixing of all kinds of content and uneven content quality. To enhance the capacity for governance in the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization, we must continuously deepen our understanding of the laws governing cultural development in the information age, strengthen innovation and exploration, make timely use of rapidly changing information technology, fully apply advanced technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence to conduct real-time monitoring and analysis of online cultural content, improve the efficiency and accuracy of content review, while swiftly handling and correcting certain disorders in the cultural sphere, and effectively enhance the precision, effectiveness, and foresight of content management in the cultural sphere.

以新技术赋能内容管理。内容管理是文化治理的重要方面。信息化条件下，文化领域内容创新不断，文化与科技融合大大拓展了文化产品的载体与形式，提升了文化内容生产的效率，但也存在着各类内容泥沙俱下、内容质量参差不齐等客观问题。提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力，要不断深化对信息化时代文化发展规律的认识，加强创新探索，因时制宜利用好日新月异的信息技术，充分运用大数据、人工智能等先进技术，对网络文化内容进行实时监测和分析，提高内容审核效率和准确性，同时迅速处置与纠正文化领域的一些乱象，有效提升文化领域内容管理精准性、有效性、预见性。

Strengthen the cultivation of cultural talent. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party emphasized the need to “accelerate adaptation to the new situation of the rapid development of information technology and cultivate and form a large-scale, outstanding cultural talent team.” [6]6 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in July 2024 and focused on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese-path modernization. Governance of the cultural sphere under the conditions of informatization requires composite talent who understand both culture and information technology. We must combine this with the actual development of the cultural sphere, intensify efforts in talent work, improve incentive mechanisms, create a favorable ecosystem for the growth of digital-intelligent cultural talent, continuously enrich the talent pool, and meet the talent needs at different levels of cultural governance.

加强文化人才培养。党的二十届三中全会强调，要“加快适应信息技术迅猛发展新形势，培育形成规模宏大的优秀文化人才队伍”。信息化条件下文化领域的治理需要既懂文化又懂信息技术的复合型人才。要结合文化领域的发展实际，加大人才工作力度，完善激励机制，营造数智化文化人才成长的良好生态，不断充实人才队伍，满足文化治理中不同层面的人才需求。

(The author is Director and Researcher of the Research Office of the History of Contemporary Culture, Institute of Contemporary China Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.)

（作者系中国社会科学院当代中国研究所文化史研究室主任、研究员）

Online editor: Ma Jingren

网络编辑：马京仁