Love of books

Only 20.5 percent of them connected to read books, newspapers or journals.

Zhang, along with many other two sessions deputies and members, thinks it's the right time to restart legislative work on the matter. In 2013 and 2014, the State Council enlisted the setting up of regulations to promote reading in its work plan. However, it has stagnated due to organizational restructuring.

"Reading needs a boost by administrative mechanism, financing, overall social involvement and protection of the less privileged," Zhang added.

Additionally, more quality works and reading events are key elements, he says, and families and schools are encouraged to devote more time and effort to promoting reading.

In 2019, Beijing alone held more than 30,000 book-related events, influencing more than 10 million people, according to Beijing Reading Festival, a reading-promotion organization.

Zhu Yongxin, another CAPD central committee vice-chairman, has spent 30 years promoting the habit of reading and has brought up the idea of national reading day for 18 years during the two sessions.

Zhu is accustomed to rising early every day to read and write. He keeps diaries, and has had several published.

"The reading day is not about holiday leave, it's about an awakening and a ritual to remind people of how reading shapes us and our society," Zhu said.

Twenty years ago, parents would snatch picture books or cartoon books from their children, believing that they were not reading the "right" material, such as textbooks or that which was related to school credit, Zhu recalls in an interview with chinawriters.com.cn, "now picture books are a much loved genre in parent-led reading, and our best writers and illustrators are creating original Chinese titles. So there has been much progress."

Zhu's Reading Day envisions coupons for free books for less well-off families and a reading package of selected books for young children just starting out on their reading journey.

"For children in poverty-stricken areas, though confined by their reading environment and resources, books enable them to stand at the same starting line as the other children," he said.

Wei from the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, as a member of CPPCC National Committee, also calls for integrated social measures to ensure rural kids to get to read.

"There are 100 million children out of the total 250 million who live in rural areas. Their reading level partly decides the future of rural China," Wei said.

Zhang also mentioned the huge national trend toward digital reading and audio books in his speech.

The aforementioned report states that audio books are continuing to attract more Chinese, as 30.3 percent of adults and 34.7 percent of children enjoyed listening to audio books in 2019, an increase of 4.3 and 8.5 percent, respectively, compared with 2018.

CPPCC National Committee member Sun Shoushan, also director of China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, highlighted several ways to help the healthy development of audio book business this year.

"Who is reading and what they are reading indicate the country's direction," Zhu said.

Zhang suggested that the ideal combination would consist of shared classics and quality titles on the human society with essence of traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture.

Contact the writer at meijia@chinadaily.com.cn