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The Chinese paradox: Hard selling culture to gain soft power
Heavy government intervention can be counterproductive.
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First-grade students taking part in an initiation ceremony to learn about traditional culture at a primary school in Anlong County.
PHOTO: AFP
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BEIJING – In late 2019, thousands of fans crowded into a Bangkok arena just to catch a glimpse of the stars of The Untamed, a Chinese fantasy television series that had taken Thailand by storm.
Over the past four years or so, Chinese television shows have grown in popularity in South-east Asia, especially with the entry of video streamers like iQiyi and Tencent’s WeTV into the market.
