In search of the market in China

This article examines the economic performance of Hong Kong's creative industries. It describes the intermittent growth and economic slowdown of the industries, and, on the other hand, reveals the strategies of the industry sector in penetrating the regional markets of China. By consolidating its financial support to the development of cultural industries in China and/or by extending economic collaboration with the fast-growing economic regions of the mainland, Hong Kong's creative industries demonstrate great flexibility in adapting themselves to the fast-changing scene of the cultural economies in China. Although market barriers remain strong in the mainland market, there is a growing and ever-lasting economic division of labour, as shown in animation and film industries, between Hong Kong and major Chinese cities, which sheds light on the future of Hong Kong's creative sector in the Chinese market.