A recent article in the Global Times claims the current revitalization of traditional Chinese culture promoted by a handful of people remains too skin-deep to make us strong and confident. The author cites Chinese singer Gong Linna and her German husband as saying most Chinese people are keen to follow Western trends and catering to Western tastes.

It is a rather reasonable criticism as Western pop culture including music has long enjoyed a powerful position and inevitably affects the cultural development of the rest of the world.

Nonetheless, it is a little bit parochial to say that culture independent of all Western elements is what modern China urgently needs to ramping up its cultural development. An increasing number of Chinese musicians are making efforts to promote traditional Chinese art to the world by integrating exterior ingredients into classical Chinese culture, with substantial success.

In actuality, China's culture market is still at the initial stage of development and is unlikely to exert a massive influence upon the rest of the world in the near future. We need to recognize this problem in a rational manner and first try to create excellent cultural products that are welcomed and loved by the majority of the Chinese people. This is an indispensable step to promote Chinese culture on the global stage.

South Korean rapper Psy performed his dance pop single "Gangnam Style" to conclude the 40th Anniversary American Music Awards (AMA) in 2012. He rose to fame overnight with this megahit that has racked up almost 2.4 billion views on YouTube since its release in July 2012.

And the 2014 AMA ceremony featured "Little Apple," a viral track composed by Chinese pop sensation the Chopsticks Brothers. The retro-sounding song with a bizarre music video has unexpectedly achieved success across China. Public squares, train stations, shopping malls, even scenic spots, wherever you go, you hear the jubilant melody and find it hard to get it out of your head. And what's more inconceivable is that it won the International Song Award at the 42nd AMA.

The two tunes were thought to be vulgar and stodgy by some elite cultural figures when they first appeared. But they are popular with the masses and have hit the world stage. This so-called "vulgar" art form is able to create classics.

China today needs sincere, profound and exquisite artworks as well as fresh, interesting and glowing mass cultural products, which, in fact, can be combined perfectly.

"Blue and White Porcelain" performed by Chinese pop star Jay Chou and written by Vincent Fang provides a pertinent example by incorporating Western musical styles into traditional Chinese culture. The beautiful song displays poetic imagery in a post-modern aesthetic manner, yielding a stunning experience for the audience. Such works, created without the intention of pleasing Westerners, have gained wide recognition across Asia and beyond.

We should be confident in the vitality of traditional Chinese culture and not worry too much about Western cultural invasion. A multitude of examples have proved that these foreign elements will push forward the growth of Chinese culture. And such inclusiveness is part of the charisma of Chinese civilization.

Zi Cha, a freelancer based in Beijing