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Fang Zhenghui: Experiencing China at Frankfurt Book Fair

china.org.cn / chinagate.cn, October 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

As the world's largest trade fair for books, the 68th Frankfurt Book Fair will run from Oct. 19 to 23 in Germany. With more than 460 books on display, the China International Publishing Group (CIPG) will no doubt be the biggest Chinese exhibitor.

Fang Zhenghui, vice president of China International Publishing Group (CIPG). [Photo by Zheng Liang / China.org.cn] 

"We will provide 465 different books focusing on Chinese culture, literature, language, traditional Chinese medicine, as well as Chinese fairytales to German readers," Fang Zhenghui, vice president of CIPG, told China.org.cn in Frankfurt. "Among them, over 380 are newly published, and 90 percent are written in German, English, Spanish, Arabic and 13 other foreign languages."

According to Fang, in September 1952, CIPG made its oversea exhibition debut at the Leipzig International Book Fair. Since the 1970s, the CIPG delegation has regularly participated in all major international book fairs.

Fang said, "In the past five years, CIPG has taken part in 65 book fairs in 26 different countries. The total area of our exhibition booth reached over 3,000 square meters, and more than 5,500 various kinds of books were on display, over 5,000 of which were published in 43 foreign languages."

Besides book exhibitions, CIPG also pays high attention to copyrighting. In 2015, CIPG cooperated with 44 oversea publishing agencies on copyrights for 548 Chinese books.

"During this year's fair, seven subsidiary publishing houses of CIPG plan to hold copyright negotiations and are expected to sign cooperation agreements with a group of foreign publishing agencies coming from Germany, the U.S., the U.K., France, Turkey, Spain, Greece, India and Vietnam." Fang said.

In order to improve publications, CIPG has held an international seminar since 2006. The seminar invites foreign and Chinese publication experts and sinologists and explores how Chinese publishing houses can effectively market abroad.

Fang said, "This time, the seminar will be held on the morning of Oct. 21 at C area of Hall 4.1. Experts, editors and practitioners both from Europe and China are expected to discuss trends in international publication and how to connect Chinese publishing agencies to readers from across the world."

Being the core force of Chinese publishers going abroad, CIPG launched "Overseas Editorial Office on Chinese Theme" with local publication agencies in 2014. Sixteen editorial offices have been established to date. Fang said, in 2016, CIPG plans to set up another 28 offices, and publish 120 books in 19 different languages.

"In the following five years, CIPG is also going to establish 50 Chinese Book Centers in different countries around the world, so as to build a new international culture brand for Chinese publication," said Fang.