China Federation of Literary and Art Circles

The China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC) is a nationwide Chinese people's organization that brings together major professional associations representing writers, visual artists, musicians, filmmakers, television workers, theatre practitioners, calligraphers, and other literary and artistic communities. Established in July 1949, shortly before the founding of the People's Republic of China, it became one of the founders of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and developed into a principal institutional channel for coordinating literary and artistic activity at the national level. CFLAC is not a commercial consumer brand. Its work is organizational, cultural, educational, and policy-oriented. Its constituent associations conduct academic research and discussion, organize performances, exhibitions, competitions, professional exchanges, and membership activities, and represent their respective artistic fields. The China Writers Association is described as the federation's largest constituent group; other affiliated bodies include the China Artists Association, China Film Association, Chinese Musicians Association, China Television Artists Association, China Theatre Association, and China Calligraphers Association. During the early decades of the People's Republic, the Chinese Communist Party's Propaganda Department helped organize networks of cultural workers' associations under CFLAC's broad framework. Existing cultural enterprises were incorporated into the state system, giving many artists stable employment and institutional support while also directing literary and artistic production toward the political and social priorities of the period. CFLAC therefore became both a professional federation and an important mechanism through which official cultural policy was communicated to writers and artists. The federation held national congresses in 1949, 1953, and 1960. No national congresses were held during the Cultural Revolution. Its fourth congress in 1979 marked a major post-Cultural Revolution reorientation. Deng Xiaoping's address emphasized the relationship between literature, art, socialist modernization, ideological work, and the development of a new socialist society. Later national congresses and leadership speeches continued to define artistic work in relation to public service, socialism, national development, moral education, cultural confidence, and national rejuvenation. Since 1996, CFLAC's national congress has generally been held every five years and has coincided with the national meeting of the China Writers Association. Successive speeches by Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping placed changing emphasis on socialist values, modernization, cultural exchange, moral responsibility, opposition to excessive commercialism and individualism, cultural confidence, artistic innovation, and service to the people. In 2014, CFLAC issued an open letter encouraging writers and artists to emphasize socialist core values. Xi Jinping's 2016 address highlighted cultural confidence, service to the people, innovation, and artistic ideals; his 2021 address called on artists to follow the Party's direction. CFLAC also maintains a publishing and communications role through periodicals and newspapers associated with the federation, including China Art Newspaper, Contemporary TV, Popular Cinema, and Popular Photography. Its present significance lies in its position at the intersection of professional representation, cultural administration, artistic production, public programming, and the political direction of China's literary and arts sectors.

The China Federation of Literary and Art Circles was founded in July 1949, during the political transition that preceded the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Its first national congress took place that month. The organization was conceived as a national federation of associations representing writers and artists and became one of the founding bodies of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Its creation gave the emerging state a formal structure through which it could organize cultural workers and coordinate literary and artistic institutions. In the early years of the People's Republic, the Chinese Communist Party's Propaganda Department helped construct networks of associations for cultural workers, with CFLAC serving as the national umbrella. Existing cultural enterprises were brought into the state apparatus. This arrangement offered many artists stable employment, income, and working conditions, while also directing cultural production toward the political and social priorities of the new state. Writers and artists were commissioned to create work celebrating the country, the revolution, socialist construction, and the people. CFLAC held its second national congress in 1953 and its third in 1960. The Cultural Revolution interrupted the federation's normal institutional activity, and no national congresses were held during that period. The organization's fourth national congress, held in 1979, became an important post-Cultural Revolution moment. Deng Xiaoping's address connected artistic and literary work with the Four Modernizations and with the ideological and educational responsibilities of cultural workers. He argued that writers and artists should contribute to the creation of a new socialist person and study Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought. The federation continued to serve as a venue where national cultural priorities were explained to professional associations. At a 1988 meeting, Hu Qili emphasized that literature and the arts should serve the people and socialism, possess ideals and purpose, and carry social responsibility. He also described artistic work as contributing to historical responsibility, national revival, social progress, collective effort, reform, creativity, national self-respect, and confidence. From 1996 onward, CFLAC's national congresses were held on a five-year cycle and coordinated with meetings of the China Writers Association. Jiang Zemin's 1996 address stressed opposition to capitalist influence and support for socialism. In 2001, he described literary and artistic work as contributing to socialism with Chinese characteristics, socialist modernization, and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. He also encouraged international cultural exchange and stronger communication with Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities. At the 2006 congress, Hu Jintao presented literature and the arts as means of strengthening moral character, expressing human ideals, providing aesthetic enjoyment, and advancing social progress. He also placed artistic work within the competitive cultural environment associated with the goal of building a moderately prosperous society, while warning against money worship, extreme individualism, and hedonism. In 2011, he again emphasized the moral dimension of artistic work and China's contribution to global culture based on its long civilizational history. In 2014, CFLAC issued an open letter encouraging literary and artistic workers to emphasize socialist core values. Xi Jinping's 2016 speech highlighted cultural confidence, service to the people, innovation and creation, and commitment to artistic ideals. His 2021 remarks placed further emphasis on political alignment and urged artists to listen to and follow the Party. These developments illustrate CFLAC's continuing dual role: it functions as a professional and cultural federation for artistic associations, while also operating within China's official system of cultural administration and ideological guidance. The federation's constituent organizations cover writing, fine arts, film, music, television, theatre, calligraphy, and related fields. Their activities include academic study, professional discussion, performances, exhibitions, competitions, membership administration, and public cultural communication. CFLAC is also associated with publications including China Art Newspaper, Contemporary TV, Popular Cinema, and Popular Photography. Its historical importance comes from its role as a durable institutional link between China's artistic professions, cultural policy, state-supported organizations, and national political priorities.

• 2014

  Open letter on socialist core values

  [1]China Federation of Literary and Art Circles - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  CFLAC encouraged writers and artists to make socialist core values a stronger part of their professional and creative practice.

• 1996

  Five-year national congress cycle begins

  [1]China Federation of Literary and Art Circles - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  CFLAC's national congresses began to follow a five-year cycle and coincide with meetings of the China Writers Association.

• 1979

  Fourth national congress and post-Cultural Revolution reorientation

  [1]China Federation of Literary and Art Circles - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Deng Xiaoping addressed the fourth national congress, linking literary and artistic work to socialist modernization and ideological responsibilities.

• 1960

  Third national congress

  [1]China Federation of Literary and Art Circles - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  The third national congress was held before the interruption of regular congresses during the Cultural Revolution.

• 1953

  Second national congress

  [1]China Federation of Literary and Art Circles - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  The federation held its second national congress.

• 1949

  Federation established

  [1]China Federation of Literary and Art Circles - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  CFLAC was established in July 1949 and held its first national congress as a nationwide federation for literary and artistic associations.

Official national umbrella organization and professional coordination platform for China's literary and artistic associations.

• Professional association network · 1949

  National literary and artistic associations

  CFLAC's primary institutional offering is its federation of nationwide associations for major literary and artistic disciplines. These bodies organize members, support professional exchange, conduct academic and artistic activities, and provide a national framework for representation and coordination. Constituent associations include organizations for writers, visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, television artists, theatre practitioners, and calligraphers.

• Publication

  China Art Newspaper

  China Art Newspaper is one of the publications associated with CFLAC. It functions as a cultural and professional communications outlet connected with China's organized literary and artistic sector.

• Television and arts publication

  Contemporary TV

  Contemporary TV is listed among CFLAC-associated publications and reflects the federation's role in communicating about television arts and the wider cultural sector.

• Film publication

  Popular Cinema

  Popular Cinema is an associated cinema publication connected with CFLAC's broader support for film-related professional and cultural activity.

• Photography publication

  Popular Photography

  Popular Photography is listed among CFLAC-associated publications and supports communication around photography and visual culture.

• 2014Socialist Core Values Open Letter

  China

  CFLAC issued an open letter calling on writers and artists to place greater emphasis on socialist core values in literary and artistic practice.

  Source

• 2021

  Reinforce Party guidance for artistsStrategy

  Background

  A later national cultural meeting addressed the political and social role of literary and artistic workers.

  Action taken

  Xi Jinping urged artists to listen to and follow the Party's words.

  Source

• 2016

  Emphasize cultural confidence and creative innovationStrategy

  Background

  The federation's national cultural role included articulating expectations for artistic work in contemporary China.

  Action taken

  Xi Jinping's speech highlighted cultural confidence, service to the people, courage in innovation and creation, and adherence to artistic ideals.

  Source

• 2014

  Promote socialist core values in artistic practiceStrategy

  Background

  The federation sought to define the social and political responsibilities of writers and artists within China's official cultural system.

  Action taken

  CFLAC issued an open letter encouraging literary and artistic workers to emphasize socialist core values.

  Source

• 1979

  Align literary and artistic work with socialist modernizationStrategy

  Background

  The fourth national congress took place after the Cultural Revolution, when China's cultural institutions were being reorganized and reoriented.

  Action taken

  Deng Xiaoping's address emphasized service to the people, support for the Four Modernizations, ideological responsibility, and the cultivation of a new socialist person.

  Aftermath

  The speech became an important reference point for the federation's post-Cultural Revolution cultural policy framework.

  Source

1. 1China Federation of Literary and Art Circles - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2China Federation of Literary and Art Circles official websitecflac.org.cn
3. 3中国文艺网—中国文学艺术界联合会cflac.org.cn
4. 4中国文艺网_中国文学艺术界联合会简介cflac.org.cn
5. 5中国文艺网_全国民间工艺文创产品设计与开发人才研修班开班cflac.org.cn
6. 6China Federation of Literary and Art Circles - Wikidatawikidata.org
7. 7中国文学艺术界联合会 - 维基百科zh.wikipedia.org