Book Open China, Global Prosperity makes a splash at Riyadh book fair

A sharing event of the book Open China, Global Prosperity was held in the China pavilion at the Riyadh International Book Fair 2025 (Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University) on Oct 6. Organized by China Intercontinental Press, the event focused on the new trends in China's high-quality economic development and its global impact.

Compiled by China Daily and published by China Intercontinental Press, the book made its official debut at the book fair in Riyadh on Oct 2. It brings together in-depth observations and analyses of China's economy from numerous internationally recognized figures, attracting widespread attention from global publishers and readers.

As an authoritative work examining China's economic trajectory, the book features a selection of commentaries originally published in China Daily. Its distinguished lineup of contributors includes many experts and leaders such as Gim Huay Neo, managing director of the World Economic Forum, Harley Seyedin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China, and Csaba Kandrács, deputy governor of the Central Bank of Hungary.

The articles compiled in the book outline the underlying logic of China's development, provide deep insights into the remarkable achievements of Chinese modernization, and offer expert perspectives on the future direction of the Chinese economy.

The authors highlight the catalytic role of China's ongoing industrial transformation and upgrading in fueling a new momentum for global economic development. The experts analyze the opportunities emerging from the Chinese market from various perspectives, underscoring how China's open-door policy and its win-win development model positively impact global economic growth.

Many visitors at the book fair spoke highly of the book, describing it as a well-researched and insightful work that systematically outlines the trajectory and latest developments of China's economy. They noted that the book serves as an important reference for overseas readers seeking to understand the implementation of Chinese modernization, its benefits for the people, and the global opportunities it presents.

Some readers highlighted the book's value in helping the international community understand China's high-quality development direction during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, offering clarity on how the technological revolution is transforming Chinese industries and their prospects. Other readers added that it also illustrates the new opportunities for global cooperation arising from China's ongoing progress.

Sharing his reflections on the book, a reader named Haytham Saeed observed that China is steadily advancing a distinct form of modernization—one that pursues common prosperity, balances material and spiritual progress, emphasizes harmony between humanity and nature, and adheres to peaceful development. This path, he noted, demonstrates through its outcomes that modernization does not necessarily mean Westernization.

Another reader Abdulrahman Marshoud Al-Jahni noted that the book deepened his understanding of China's green development strategy. He said China leads the world in installed wind and photovoltaic capacity, ranks among the top global markets for electric vehicle sales and actively collaborates internationally on green technology, which demonstrates how the country's green growth strategy advances both its domestic sustainable development and global climate governance.

Reader Noura Al Saud said a story from the book's foreword left a deep impression on her: in ancient China, delivering lychees for the royal court was immensely costly, whereas today, ordinary Chinese people, as well as consumers worldwide, can savor the fruit thanks to China's cold chain logistics.

This gave her a tangible sense of the advancement of China's transportation sector and its economic vitality, she added. Al Saud expressed her eagerness to visit China and experience the country firsthand, while proudly sharing that her daughter is currently studying Chinese in Qingdao.

The book fair was held at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University from Oct 2 to 11. As this year marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Saudi Arabia and the inaugural China-Saudi Culture Year, more than 10 key publishing houses participated in the fair under the theme "reading China".

During the book fair, China set up a special exhibition area, featuring more than 1,000 high-quality books and hosted a series of high-level cultural exchange activities. These efforts were meant to introduce China's development philosophy and achievements to the international community and explain the significant role of China's development in the global context.