The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding Public Cultural Services (Draft) (the "Draft Law") has recently been promulgated on the website of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China for public comment by June 3, 2016.
The Draft Law firstly makes it clear that public cultural services are public cultural facilities, cultural products, cultural events and other related services which are led by the government and participated by the social forces, and which are provided for the primary purpose of meeting citizens' basic cultural needs. The Draft Law indicates that China's public cultural services shall be people-centered services which shall benefit all the people.
In order to promote the development of public cultural services in a regulated and orderly manner, the Draft Law provides that the State Council shall formulate the national guiding standards for the public cultural services, and local governments shall formulate their implementing standards for the basic cultural services within their respective administrative regions. Meanwhile, the Draft Law provides for safeguarding measures such as establishing systems for publicly disclosing and providing directory of public cultural services, free and discounted opening of public cultural facilities, and providing free or discounted public cultural services by public welfare cultural entities.