Internet companies’ cultural entrepreneurialism and policy interactions in China: Tencent’s case of “Neo-Culture Creativity” strategy

Abstract

This article studies interactions between Internet companies and the Chinese government within the cultural policy niche through a case study of Tencent’s “Neo-Culture Creativity” strategy. By empirically investigating the correlations between Tencent’s business actions and Chinese cultural policy changes during 2011–2019, and further disclosing their causality via a within-case process tracing, our findings are threefold. Firstly, around an “IP” idea and a content franchise model, Tencent has joined the policymaking process by providing problem solutions and exerting public pressure to influence the agenda setting of intellectual property rights protection. Secondly, Tencent has effectively adhered to the country’s calls of rejuvenating traditional Chinese culture and improving its international competitiveness to some extent. Thirdly, responding to China’s post-socialist sovereignty, Tencent has collaborated and compromised with the government on issues surrounding digital cultural governance by both precautions and remedies. Hence there are implications for Chinese cultural companies to interact with government policies.