China's curated titles provide a window to the world at Frankfurt fair

FRANKFURT — Stephan Fischer, a German from Karlsruhe, was browsing the travel section at the Chinese exhibition booths at the Frankfurt Book Fair, which ended on Oct 20, when he shared his enthusiasm for China.

"I adore pandas," he says. "I recently learned that Germans can now travel to China visa-free for 15 days. I'm really looking forward to seeing the giant pandas there and these books will provide me with all the information I need."

To meet the interests of readers like Fischer, the Chinese publishing delegation showcased more than 3,500 carefully curated titles, covering a wide array of genres, including traditional Chinese culture, humanities, education, lifestyle, and children's literature. Humanities books, in particular, have attracted global attention, becoming key bridges between Chinese and international publishers.

Spanning 580 square meters, the Chinese exhibition, led by the China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Corp, featured around 70 publishing houses.

"This year, China's publishing industry made extensive preparations for the Frankfurt Book Fair, presenting numerous high-quality academic books and journals," says Sun Wei, vice-president of Beijing Yanshan Publishing House. "From my perspective, this is a highlight of China's participation and marks a step forward in integrating China's knowledge into the global discourse."

Sun underscores the vital role of academic publishing as a platform for dialogue between China and the rest of the world, contributing to global conversations with a modern Chinese perspective.

Juergen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, highlights the strong relationship between the fair and Chinese publishers.

"Chinese exhibitors are very important to us," Boos says, adding that the fair maintains an office in Beijing and frequently exchanges ideas with Chinese publishers.

For the first time, the fair also featured the "Asian Stage", a special platform for authors from China and other Asian countries to engage with German-speaking authors.

The close collaboration between Chinese and international publishers was reflected in several agreements signed during the fair, including one between Zhonghua Book Company and Springer Nature for the English version of the book From the Mediterranean to the Yellow River.

Springer Nature has been working with Chinese publishers since 1981 when it began publishing academic works by Chinese scientists, including the renowned mathematician Hua Luogeng. Today, the publisher collaborates with around 100 Chinese publishing houses and releases nearly 1,000 academic titles annually, covering a broad range of disciplines.

"The influence of China's publishing industry is growing rapidly in overseas markets through copyright trading, international collaborations, and even mergers and acquisitions," says Niels Peter Thomas, managing director of books at Springer Nature.

Zhang Hong, vice-president of China Publishing Group, emphasized the crucial role of publishing in fostering cultural and academic exchanges. "Publishing serves as a platform for disseminating knowledge, advancing research and promoting international scholarly collaboration," Zhang notes.

At the fair, the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press and Taylor and Francis Group signed an agreement on the Frontiers in Foreign Language Core Topics Research Library project, which includes 61 publications, nearly all titles in the series currently available in China.

Wang Fang, president of FLTRP, hails the partnership as a milestone that expands the international reach of Chinese academic research.

"In the future, we aim for a dual approach — 'bringing in' and 'going out'," Wang says. "We want to introduce high-quality foreign works to China while sharing outstanding Chinese works and the essence of Chinese culture with the world."