Foreign journalists covering China's party congress were surprised by the fact that one of their number was called to ask a question. That rarely, if ever, happens. Example: "Please tell us, what policies and plans the Chinese government will be implementing in cooperation with Australia?" Behind this soft question, it emerged, was an example of Chinese soft power.

People tend to judge others through the lens of their own social, cultural and political fabrics, often making rash, uninformed conclusions. This is particularly risky when talking about a vast, complex society like China, said a leading China expert. It is undeniable that China’s incoming leader Xi Jinping will face people’s deepening grievances about social inequality, which some argue could precipitate a crisis of the central government’s legitimacy.

Eighteen months after Julia Gillard announced the inaugural BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University, an appointment may be imminent, according to Kevin Hobgood-Brown, managing director of the Foundation for Australian Studies in China which makes the appointment.

In February this year, under pressure from the Hollywood studios and the World Trade Organisation, China increased the number of foreign films shown by 14 films, to about 34, including 3D and Imax movies. The initiative came from Xi Jinping, who is expected to be named leader at the congress. “The dominance of domestic films in the Chinese film market has been shaken. This has brought handsome profits to the American film industry,” said Mr Tian.

Developing and reforming the cultural industry, is a key focus of delegates at the Party Congress and the public. Representatives from various cultural agencies have held a joint press conference on the issue. They laid out specific targets and actions for cultural reforms and the strengthening of soft power.

The council will conduct a thorough review of the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area and establish offices in each other's territories to serve the needs of businesspeople, students and the general public.

China launched its first cultural industry index on Friday to provide an indicator of how the sector is performing. Shenzhen Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Securities Information Co., Ltd. jointly issued the OCT Culture Index named after OCT group, a Shenzhen-based state-owned enterprise administered by the central government.

The 2012 Poland-China Tibetan Culture Week successfully concluded here on Sunday, after arousing strong repercussions in Poland. The culture week, the first of its kind held in Poland, included an exhibition of more than 200 photos taken by Chinese and foreign photographers and 46 traditional Tibetan Thangka paintings, Tibetan folk songs and dance performances, in addition to a series of discussions and seminars between locals and Tibetologists.