The Beijing 2013 International Publishing Forum was held on August the 27th, with the theme of ‘Integration, Opportunity, and Prospects’. Yan Junqi, vice chairwoman of the NPC Standing Committee and chairwoman of Central Committee of China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD), attended the forum and delivered an address. Deputy Director of the State General Administration of Press, Publications, Radio, Film and Television Wu Shulin and deputy director of the State Council Information Office Li Wufeng also gave speeches.

During his address, Wu Shulin indicated that the income of China’s digital publishing industry has surged to new peaks. As statistics show, the total income of the country’s digital publishing industry in 2012 reached 193.54 billion RMB, with a year-on-year growth of 40.47%, accounting for 11.72% of the entire news publishing industry’s yearly income. Wu also expressed his wish that China should move forward and further open up the digital publishing market, welcome foreign information, the internet and digital technical industries into the country, cooperate with Chinese companies on content production, technology research and development, the establishment of accepted standards and intellectual property protection, and promote the entire industry’s prosperity and development.

Many representatives from important domestic and foreign publishing agencies attended the forum. The participants held discussions on the traditional media’s digitalization, the integration of traditional publishing with the new media, international cooperation and other topics which have recently come to the fore.

The Beijing International Publishing Forum is hosted by the State General Administration of Press, Publications, Radio, Film and Television, the State Council Information Office and the Central Committee of CAPD. As an important part of the Beijing International Book Expo, the Forum has been held successfully for nine times, and has gradually become a momentous platform to present the progress of China’s publishing industry and to promote communication between Chinese and foreign publishers.

Translated by Wangdaohang

Revised by Gabriele Corsetti