ABSTRACT
The changing political and economic pressures under which the Chinese media system has evolved over the last forty years have resulted in a unique media model that both defines and contorts the principles behind China's socialist market economy experiment. The effects of the lack of long-term planning at the highest levels have been compounded by the vibrant state of the Chinese economy and the strong business ethic, fast economic growth has demanded developments in the media at a pace too fast for the political centre to control. Continued government control over essentially commercial media operations ensures that each executive branch fights for its own corner when debate turns to ownership of its assets. Short-term considerations and jealous guarding of hard-won possessions hinders cooperation horizontally between ministries and vertically throughout the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) system. In many ways, the development of the media, as with all new industries in China, has progressed in a circular manner.
