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Yan Junqi, Vice Chairwoman, Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and Chairwoman, the Central Committee of China Association for Promoting Democracy
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning!
Today we are here for Beijing International Publishing Forum 2010. On behalf of China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD) as an organizer of this forum, I would like to extend my warm welcome and sincere thanks to all Chinese and foreign guests and friends present here today.
As is known, CAPD plays an active role in promoting China's publishing, education and cultural industries. Over the years, we have been following and supporting the reform and development of China's publishing sector. But it's the first time that we have been an organizer of the Beijing International Publishing Forum. It's a new way for us to play our due role in the field of publishing and we truly hope to make new contribution to the growth of China’s publishing industry through organizing this forum.
This forum serves as a great platform for the exchange of ideas in the international publishing community. Friends from different countries and regions are brought together to talk about issues of common concern about the development of the publishing industry. Such talks and discussions not only help to improve the mutual understanding between Chinese and foreign publishing industries but also promote the cultural exchange between China and other countries and regions so that China and the rest of the world can know better about each other.
Over the past three decades, particularly since 2000, China's publishing industry has undergone dramatic changes. Outstanding achievements have been made in such aspects as restructuring, common development of public service and business operation, technological progress as well as international exchange and cooperation. By transforming for-profit publishing institutions into enterprises, the publishing sector has basically met the requirements of China's market economy system and is fitting into the international market. Now China is the second largest publishing market in the world. In 2009, it published 300,000 titles, or 7 billion copies of books, generating over USD 150 billion of revenue. The application of new technology has boosted the productivity of the industry significantly and facilitated the emergence of many new types of businesses. On the international cooperation and exchange front, both imports and exports of copyright have been growing, with the import to export ratio becoming more desirable. Besides, China has conducted publishing cooperation with 200 countries in the world. It is fair to say that the achievements of China's publishing industry should be attributed to its reform and development on the one hand and to the enhanced international cooperation on the other hand. And the growing publishing business in China has also injected vitality to the international publishing industry.
The fast-growing cultural undertakings including the publishing business in China has met the cultural needs and ensured the basic cultural rights of the 1.3 billion Chinese people who do not have to worry about food any more. Today, as China is walking to the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round manner, the Chinese government attaches more importance to the development of cultural undertakings. It has set the goal of achieving the leapfrog development of political, economic, cultural and social undertakings, developed the Cultural Industry Promotion Plan, and launched a series of supporting polices for the reform of the cultural system. More efforts have been made to facilitate the common development of public service system and the cultural industry so as to better satisfy the ever-growing cultural needs of the people and ensure their rights to subsistence, education, and development. Such institutional and policy support has helped to achieve the sustained growth of China's publishing sector. In addition, as China's economy grows, restructuring is deepened, urbanization speeds up, income distribution is rationalized, long- and mid-term education programs are implemented, and more people are active to read and learn, the demand for cultural products including books is bound to rise considerably and the market will be more mature to meet such buoyant demand. That's the solid foundation on which China's publishing industry will thrive. Therefore, for quite a long time in the future, publishing business in China will grow rapidly and bring valuable opportunities for the international publishing community. China will collaborate more with other countries in the world in publishing-related areas such as projects, financing, market development, logistics, technology and management. We are looking forward to a new era of win-win cooperation between Chinese and foreign publishers.
Economic globalization and cultural diversity tells us that publishing industries have to grow through enhanced communication and cooperation. In the context of economic globalization, a publishing industry should be oriented to both the domestic and the international markets; while due to cultural diversity, it has to spread its native culture and draw upon advanced foreign cultures as well. In other words, the publishing industry has to follow the laws of both economic and cultural development and expand international exchange and cooperation. In this regard, I think we have a number of issues to address. First, what can we do to open the international publishing market wider on the basis of respecting cultural differences and ensuring the cultural security of every country? Second, what can we do to change the development pattern of the international publishing community faster so as to use fewer resources and get more benefits? Third, how can we promote the application of new technology in publishing so that knowledge is disseminated in a faster, more convenient and more acceptable manner? Fourth, how can the publishing sector play its due role in addressing the trickiest problems of the mankind such as the energy and environment issues? Fifth, how can the publishing sector contribute to the sound development of political regimes and lasting peace in the world?
"Understanding, respect, reciprocity and mutual benefit" is an essential principle for international exchange and cooperation. For the publishing community, that shall include cultural exchange and economic cooperation. In the cultural aspect, each culture is a component of the world civilization and the exchanges and integration of different cultures, both independent and accommodative, make up a diversified cultural landscape in the world. Inclusion and innovation driven by cultural exchanges promotes the constant development of the world civilization. Therefore, cultural exchanges need to break the confines of social, ideological systems and development patterns, appreciate the essence of different cultures, and respect cultural difference. In the economic aspect, market rules must be observed in carrying out international cooperation. A sound cooperative arrangement allows the partners to make choices out of their own free wills. It needs to be mutually beneficiary, leading to a synergy between the partners, bringing about more benefits on the whole and for each side. It can also contribute to the upgrading and boom of the world publishing industry.
Thus we believe the exchange and cooperation in the world publishing community brings far more benefits than merely economic gains. It promotes the communication between cultures, displays the very best of each culture, facilitates the inheritance, communication and innovation of a culture, and heightens the world's cultural diversity. International cultural exchanges promote understanding between countries, regions and peoples, help heal the division, close the gap, reduce the misunderstanding, and eventually contribute to a harmonious world where the fruits of long-lasting peace and prosperity is shared by all.
Distinguished guests, dear friends,
Reform and opening up is a fundamental policy for China and accelerating cultural progress is a strategy we will pursue over a long period of time. Drawing its strength from the 5000-year-old Chinese civilization and from the success of the reform over the past 30 years, the Chinese publishing community will seize the golden opportunity for development, Chinese culture will attain a greater height and the international cultural exchange and cooperation will be undertaken on a greater scale.
An open, stable, rich and prosperous China will surely make more contributions to the world. The world needs China and China needs to open up to the world. Let's work together towards the integration of cultures and the unity of peoples and strive for a better world that is richer, more prosperous and harmonious.
Finally, we wish Beijing International Publishing Forum 2010 a complete success.
Thank you.
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