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  China’s Publishing Exchanges with the Outside World  
 


As it came to the export of books, the General Administration of Publications promulgated an Instruction on the Distribution of Books in Foreign Countries in 1952, presenting elaborate rules on exporting Chinese books.

4. Establish rules on non-trade-based communication of publications. Non-trade-based exchanges with foreign countries largely referred to the exchanges and donation of publications. They also played important and unique roles in publications exchanges with the outside world. They might open up new channels for trade and distribution, and expand the influences of China. As a result, the publishing administration organs and culture management organs made a series of regulations on non-trade-based communication of publications.

In December 1952, the State Council approved an Interim Measure on Import of Foreign Printed Matters. It stipulated that the import of non-trade-based foreign printed matters was exclusively handled by public securities organs, except for those authorized by the State Council to import directly.

In February 1961, the Ministry of Culture and Foreign Cultural Exchanges Committee informed that 13 publishing houses, including the People’s Press, Literature Press and Fine Arts Press, were allowed to maintain direct ties with counterparts and a few libraries in other communist party countries for regular exchanges and donation of some books and periodicals. Other publishing houses had to report to the higher authority and the Foreign Cultural Exchanges Committee for examination and approval, before they could regularly exchange books with foreign counterparts. Interim exchanges and donations had to be examined and approved by the administrative organs at the level of province, municipality and autonomous region.

5. Actively expand channels and modes for exchanges with foreign countries, and expand publishing exchanges with the outside world. Publishing exchanges with the outside world were largely realized through two channels, which were the official (governmental) exchange channel, and the non-governmental exchange channel. As a result of arduous efforts over a decade, China had made great progress in expanding the channels for publishing exchanges with foreign countries. Take the International Bookstore. In 1952, it set up business ties with 200 counterparts in 42 countries. The partners were expanded to 738 businesses in 91 countries and regions at the end of 1964.

II. The period between 1966 and 1978

In 1971, China restored its rightful seat in the United Nations. Since then, China exerted far greater influences in the international society. It began to resume publishing exchanges with the outside world. It was mainly revealed in increased export of books and periodicals. In 1971, China published 170,000 copies of Chinese language books, about three times that of the previous year. In 1973, the volume reached 660,000 copies. Chinese language periodicals were also exported in larger amounts.

III. March towards brilliance (1979-1997)

Since the Third plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee in December 1978, the Communist Party of China shifted the priority of its work towards socialist modernization construction. It led to rapid restoration and development of all undertakings, including the publishing business. Publishing exchanges with foreign countries strode towards brilliance under the guide of the reform and opening up policy.

1. Establish agencies for publishing exchanges with foreign countries

Publications trade agencies. Before 1979, China had only two businesses for foreign trade of books. The International Bookstore was responsible for exporting books. China Publications Import Company took charge of importing books and periodicals. In 1980, a third book trade agency, China Publications Foreign Trade Corporation, was established under the approval of the State Council and the Central Publicity Ministry of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China. In order to enhance publications exchanges with foreign countries, China Publications Import Company was renamed into China National Publications Import and Export Corporation in 1981, to import and export publications. In 1981, the International Bookstore was approved to do the import business as well. It was renamed into China International Book Trading Corporation in 1983. In this way, China had basically formulated a structure for publishing foreign trade.

Copyright agencies. The first copyright agency of New China was the Copyright Agency of China, established in April 1988. It was reformed into China Copyright Protection Center in 1998. Its tenets after the establishment were to offer all sorts of services to authors of literary, art and scientific works from the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao in publishing and copyright exchanges. Thereafter, there had emerged more copyright agencies. In 1997, China had 20 professional copyright agencies. Many book import and export agencies and publishing houses were also engaged in copyright agency business.

Foreign language publishing agencies. Before 1979, China had only two professional foreign languages publishing agencies, which were Foreign Languages Press and New World Press. After 1979, professional foreign language publishing houses kept emerging in the country. By 1996, China had another 10 foreign language publishing houses, which were China Literature Press, Dolphin Press, Huayu Press, China Today Press, People’s China Press, China Pictorial Press, Chaohua Press, China Esperanto Press, Xinxing Press, and Wanguo Academic Press. Besides, scores of publishing houses, such as Science Press, started to publish books in foreign languages. In about 1978, China had six foreign language magazines. After that, new foreign magazines were mushrooming. In 1990, China had 25 foreign language magazines. They soared to 170 in 1996. Some magazines are published in multiple foreign languages.

2. Settle new principles for publications exchanges with foreign countries in response to new situations. Since 1978, the international and domestic situations underwent tremendous changes. The publishing industry meets new development trends. Under the new situations, relevant Chinese authorities established new rules to enhance publishing exchanges with foreign countries.

In July 1978, the State Publication Administration put forward that foreigners were allowed to buy all books publicly sold in bookstores and carry them out of the country. The International Bookstore might work with the publishing houses for export.

China also amended the rules on non-trade-based exchanges of publications. In February 1979, State Science and Technology Commission and Chinese Academy of Sciences promulgated the Interim Regulations on Exchanging Scientific and Technological Books and Periodicals with Foreign Parties. They put forward to gradually expand the scopes of exchanges according to the situations of domestic publishing of scientific and technological books and periodicals. All the scientific and technological books and periodicals that were exported or publicly distributed and sold in the country were allowed to exchange or donate to related foreign institutions.

China had rules on governing the import of publications. In 1981, related government organs ruled to ban the import of pornographic and obscene books and periodicals. In 1984, the Ministry of Radio and Television stipulated that audio products should be imported to contribute to socialist spiritual civilization, and facilitate domestic audio publishing and production. They would largely follow general practices of the world to protect copyrights. As regards printed matters imported for individual purposes, Chinese authorities also made rules in June 1979. Related government organs established rules on the import and export of audio and video products and electronic publications.

In 1982, relevant Chinese authorities regulated that overseas literary and art discs, audio and video were banned to be imported and sold on the market as commodities, in response to the problem that overseas obscene and reactionary audio and video products were introduced to China through various channels to engender socialist spiritual civilization.

In February 1996, the General Administration of Press issued the Measures on the Management of Imported Audio and Video Products. In March 1996, the General Administration of Press also stipulated the import of electronic publications.

3. Expand channels and modes for publishing foreign exchanges. In addition to the previous channels and modes for foreign exchanges, China has explored many new channels and modes for the purpose. They include copyright transfer, cooperation through multiple modes, sponsor international book exhibitions and international publishing academic seminars, joining important international organizations, setting up multi-layer ties among the governments, mass organizations, and publishing businesses, setting up joint venture printing and distributing enterprises, and establishing on-line bookstores. In this way, the publishing exchanges with the outside world develop, with high speeds and quality, in an all-round way and in multiple layers.

Editor: Wen Yi

 
 
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