Red Creative

Red Creative is an exploration of Chinas cultural economy over the last twenty years particularly through the lens of its creative hub of Shanghai. The research presented here raises questions about the nature of contemporary creative capitalism and the universal claims of Western modernity offering new ways of thinking about cultural policy in China. Taking a long-term historical perspective Justin OConnor and Xin Gu analyze the ongoing development of Chinas cultural industries examining the institutions regulations interests and markets that underpin the Chinese cultural economy and the strategic position of Shanghai within it. Further the authors explore cultural policy reforms in post-colonial China and articulate Shanghais significance in paving Chinas path to modernity and entry to global capitalism. In-depth and illuminating Red Creativecarefully situates Chinas contemporary cultural economy in its larger global and historical context revealing the limits of Western thought in understanding Chinese history culture and society.