BEIJING - For Chinese manufacturers, a little bit creativity helps a lot. Small shops are adding more trendy and Internet elements to goods such as T-shirts, cups, notebooks, purses and caps.

For example, such products feature "cultural revolution"-style posters, which typically feature farmers, workers and soldiers posing in a fighting spirit. But the original slogans are replaced with popular Internet sayings or even phrases in broken English.

The new slogans include "Working hard for my wife!", "Serving the renminbi heart and soul", "I want a pay rise" and "You ask me, me ask who?".

These goods are selling well in creative workshops in several Beijing's business areas such as 798 and Songzhuang Art Zones, Xidan Fengguohezi area, Houhai and Nanluoguxiang Alley.

"Creative business zones are mushrooming in Beijing," said Xu Yunfeng, a business analyst in Beijing. "It reflects the trend that the operating mode of Chinese businesses has transformed from made-in-China to created-in-China."

Liu Mingjie, who owns an 18-square-meter store in Houhai's bar area in Beijing, said: "Creativity is the king and brings profitable business."

The 40-year-old is known for creating ObaMao T-shirts. Last year, Liu superimposed US President Barack Obama's face over China's late leader Mao Zedong in an old army uniform, and named it ObaMao.

Notebooks, purses and bags have being produced with the ObaMao pattern, with the T-shirt proving popular among foreign tourists and the younger generation.

"There are many exciting creative ideas which can be easily discovered and put into business," Liu said.

"China definitely has the competitive potential to compete with world famous brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton."

A cotton T-shirt can barely fetch 20 yuan ($2.97), but T-shirts with Liu's design are priced at 60 yuan because people think they are unique and fashionable.

China's creative industries have been booming over the past few years, with cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Chengdu having established creative industry centers and parks.

Zhang Tao, assistant director from the National Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises Committee, has called for more financial and policy support for creative businesses.

He said a large number of small- and medium-sized companies with created-in-China products find it too difficult to exploit overseas markets because they don't have reliable financial support.

"Research and development costs a lot. It is extremely expensive to design the software and build up manufacturing models for many small- or medium-sized businesses," he said.

Economics professor Ding Rijia, from the school of management at the China University of Mining and Technology in Beijing, said China's stable consumer group and mature market is big enough for fledgling creative businesses.

"Consumers are willing to buy products with practical and stylish elements because their consuming concept has dramatically changed, along with fast social and economic development," Ding said.

By Zhong Nan (China Daily)