On the basis of a comparative analysis , the 31 provinces/municipal cities in China can be divided into four groups, namely, first-, second-, third-, and fourth-tier groups.

The first-tier group (i.e. Beijing and Shanghai) has cultural sectors with excellent infrastructure and competitive sub-sectors, such as broadcasting, film, online games and animation. The second-tier group (i.e. Fujian and Sichuan) has a small number of competitive sub-sectors; at the same time, the local governments are actively fostering cultural industries. The third-tier group (i.e. Henan and Tianjin) requires a medium-term approach compared with the previous two groups. Finally, the fourth-tier group (i.e., Jilin and Neimenggu) requires a long-term monitoring and evaluation.

In addition, the characteristics of each sub-sector should be carefully taken into account for local-level cooperation in the cultural sectors. In the film and online games sectors, a small number of major players are dominating the market or industry of the country. In such circumstances, regional grouping is not very useful. Strengthening cooperation with major regions, such as Beijing and Shanghai, seems to be a better approach for Korea. In contrast, the level of development of broadcasting or animation industries and markets relies heavily on the support from local governments or relevant companies. Therefore, facilitating cooperation with a number of regions is rec-ommended for these sectors.