National People's Congress representative Wu Chen, who is currently attending the Two Sessions in Beijing, has set his sights on a higher goal for the capital's cultural development this year. Wu Chen, who also serves as a Chair Professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chief Architect and Chief Planner of the Beijing Architectural Design & Research Institute, and Chief Architect of the Shougang Group, has put forward a proposal to accelerate Beijing's transformation into a "World Art Center City."

Wu Chen noted that Beijing's 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly calls for stimulating the cultural innovation and creativity of the entire nation, promoting the prosperous development of socialist culture, further strengthening the construction of the "Four Centers" functions, and showcasing the demeanor of the capital of a major country. His proposal from last year, "Promoting Beijing's Development as a Youth-Friendly City," has already yielded positive results. This year, he aims to draw more attention to the "World Art Center City" initiative, injecting new momentum into the capital's cultural development and high-quality economic and social growth.

World Art Center Cities typically possess high-level cultural resources and a thriving artistic ecosystem, capable of attracting global artists and forming a comprehensive chain system from creation and exhibition to transaction. This significantly enhances a nation's cultural soft power and a city's overall competitiveness. "Beijing leads global cities in the number of World Cultural Heritage sites, and the successful inscription of the Central Axis further highlights the unique charm of Chinese culture," Wu Chen stated. He listed Beijing's solid foundation in arts and culture: it currently has 246 registered museums, which are expected to launch over 2,000 exhibitions in 2025, cumulatively receiving approximately 100 million visitors. The auction market is active, domestic art brands are gaining prominence in the international market, and the influence of Eastern aesthetics continues to expand.

Despite this strong foundation, Wu Chen candidly pointed out that Beijing still lags behind internationally recognized art centers such as Paris, London, New York, and Milan. An international art market ecosystem has not yet fully formed, with global top-tier galleries, collector networks, and art transaction chains still needing improvement. Leading brands with global influence require further development, and the public aesthetic education function in public spaces needs enhancement. "We must face the gaps, but also have firm confidence, leveraging our structural advantages to accelerate the construction of an art center city with global influence," he said.

To achieve Beijing's leap from a "cultural resource aggregation area" to a "World Art Center City," Wu Chen proposed five systematic recommendations. First, he suggested strengthening top-level design and goal orientation, reinforcing the functional positioning of a World Art Center City. This involves integrating the construction of a World Art Center City into the overall framework of the "Four Centers" functions, coordinating planning with the development of a Science and Technology Innovation Center and an International Exchange Center, and establishing a cross-departmental collaborative promotion mechanism. Indicators such as art ecosystem development and international art resource allocation capacity should be incorporated into the capital's development evaluation system, building a comprehensive chain from "art creation to transaction and exhibition to public participation."

Based on a clear functional positioning, a multi-dimensional specialized planning system needs to be constructed to form a systematic policy support framework. He recommended formulating specific plans for industrial development, spatial layout, talent, and international cooperation across sectors including visual arts, performing arts, screen arts, literary arts, and technology-integrated arts. This would strengthen the linkage of policy tools and enhance the implementation capability of top-level design.

With policy and planning safeguards in place, specific spatial carriers are also necessary. To this end, he proposed using artistic architecture and public spaces as vehicles to integrate the art system into urban space and governance systems. This includes planning high-standard art museums, digital art centers, concert halls, and theaters, and improving industrial chains for film and television production, digital distribution, and game development. By integrating artistic functions into urban renewal projects, such as in old factory areas, transportation hubs, and community public spaces, a sustainably operated public art network can be formed.

Once spatial carriers are established, how can intrinsic vitality be stimulated? Wu Chen suggested activating artistic innovation capacity and market competitiveness to foster new growth points in the cultural economy. This involves establishing special funds and residency programs for artists, leveraging social capital into the art industry, and supporting projects that integrate art with technology, tourism, and education. Improving specialized areas such as art insurance, restoration, copyright trading, appraisal, and logistics will enhance the financing capacity and risk resilience of art enterprises.

Focusing on the sustainable operational capacity of the industry, he recommended enhancing the continuous operation capability of the art industry and using urban curation mechanisms to promote cross-disciplinary expression and cross-scenario co-creation. Establishing a regular urban curation mechanism can drive collaboration between art, industrial parks, commercial venues, and public spaces. Building online performance and copyright trading platforms and expanding international communication channels are also crucial. Creating a city-level art data platform to integrate resources from performances, exhibitions, film, and television would support policy decision-making and market analysis.

He believes that through coordinated efforts in top-level design, specialized planning, artistic architecture, funding guidance, and sustainable operation, Beijing has the conditions to advance from a "cultural resource aggregation area" to a "World Art Center City." This will not only enhance the international cultural influence of the capital of a major country but also deeply integrate art into urban governance and public life, promoting the comprehensive development of a people-centric city and making art a true driving force for the capital's economic and social development.