Legislative process a bedrock of nation's vision
The scenes are hard to forget: serpentine queues snaking around stores for Labubu figurines. Overseas gamers, mesmerized by Black Myth: Wukong, diving into the original Journey to the West — a 16th-century Chinese literary classic — to decode the story. And the trending #BecomingChinese social media movement, where Generation Zs abroad swap tips on traditional Chinese medicine and the elegance of Chinese characters as their newest cultural currency.
For years, as I reported on this explosive "going global" of Chinese cultural products, one question has lingered: How is this influence actually forged?
Over the past week, covering the two sessions — the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, the nation's top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body — I believe I've found my answer.
Walking through the corridors of the Great Hall of the People, it is striking how the buzzwords of the global market have become the focal points of legislative discussion.
This is where the abstract concept of "soft power" meets the concrete process of whole-process people's democracy.
NPC deputies and CPPCC National Committee members aren't just marveling at the global phenomenon of Black Myth: Wukong; they are drafting suggestions on how to build a legal "escort" for intellectual property protection, ensuring our myths aren't just told, but safeguarded.
The discussion isn't just about the collectible frenzy for Labubu; it's about the "living inheritance" of intangible cultural heritage from remote villages and its digital rebirth, ensuring traditional crafts thrive in the age of digital collectibles.
I sat in on discussions where proposals formed a complete chain: from safeguarding cultural IP to boosting talent supply for digital cultural innovations. It felt like witnessing a central nervous system at work — capturing the pulse of the hottest market trends on the ground and translating that energy into precise, top-level policy calibration.
Official data shows Chinese political advisers submitted nearly 6,000 proposals over the past year, with more than 600 focused on bolstering the country's cultural influence — an increase of about 200 from 2023. The proposals address areas including cultural confidence, heritage protection and industry development.
Meanwhile, Brand Finance's Global Soft Power Index 2026 shows China's score edging upward steadily from 72.8 last year to 73.5, consolidating its position among the leading soft power nations, second only to the United States. The US, by contrast, recorded the steepest decline of any country this year, its score dropping to 74.9 from 79.5.
This is happening at a critical juncture, as China transitions into the start of its new 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period. The timing is strategic. The suggestions being tabled aren't just about riding the current wave of global interest; they are about correcting the course and ensuring sustainable growth.
They are laying the quiet, unseen groundwork — the institutional foundation — for the goal of building a leading cultural powerhouse by 2035.
My key takeaway this week is a profound realization: China's cultural renaissance is not a series of accidental blockbusters.
From the frenzy over a designer toy to the immersive world of a blockbuster video game rooted in ancient mythology, what I'm witnessing at the two sessions is the deliberate, replicable, and democratic path being paved to make this influence a sustained reality.
































