Why China Is Having a Pop Culture Moment

Rising wealth, changing consumer preferences and strong policy support are driving China’s intellectual property (IP) boom, but lasting global success will depend on building a more integrated IP industrial chain, according to Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

China’s trajectory closely mirrors the historical development of cultural industries in the U.S., Japan and South Korea, according to a BCG report published last week. Global experience shows that when a country’s per capita GDP exceeds $10,000, consumer spending shifts from basic survival needs to pursuing spiritual and cultural values. The U.S., Japan and South Korea crossed this threshold in 1978, 1980 and 1994, respectively, ushering in their own golden eras of cultural production.