Exporting creative goods from China: Government support measures in the 13th and 14th five-year plans

The rapid expansion of creative industries plays a pivotal role in fostering sustainable economic development and enhancing the global cultural footprint of exporting nations. Consequently, governments worldwide actively implement targeted mechanisms to stimulate creative exports. As the undisputed global leader in creative goods exports, China's success stems from both its inherent comparative advantages and systematic state interventions. However, the specific quantitative impact of governmental support instruments on China's creative export performance remains underexplored in existing literature. This study systematically examines the key fiscal and financial support measures implemented during the 13th and 14th five-year plans and assesses their influence on creative goods exports from 2016 to 2023. Utilizing a balanced panel regression approach across regional and product-level datasets, the analysis reveals that both VAT export rebates and direct government budget financing exert a statistically significant positive effect on export volumes. Furthermore, the findings highlight a pronounced geographic and structural concentration of exports, predominantly directed toward the United States and European markets. The study concludes that while current support policies have effectively bolstered export competitiveness, strategic optimization is required to mitigate regional disparities, encourage long-term sectoral diversification, and reduce vulnerability to external market fluctuations.