China spends 1.8 bln yuan in artistic support in 3 years

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government spent 1.8 billion yuan (around 259.7 million U.S. dollars) in the past three years, supporting over 2,000 domestic art projects.

At a symposium held Thursday to mark the third anniversary of the China National Arts Fund (CNAF), the state fund said it has received applications for more than 15,900 projects since its founding in 2013.

The projects fell into categories including fine arts, stage productions, communication and exchange, as well as talent cultivation, according to the CNAF.

Theater projects with financial support from the CNAF accounted for over 60 percent of all programs that won national awards, which showed the fund's role in helping to produce quality works, said CNAF head Cai Wu.

The CNAF was founded on Dec. 30, 2013 in a drive to boost the country's cultural influence.