Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today is a memorable day for the Foreign Languages Press. The trans-century cooperation between Yale University Press and the Foreign Languages Press has yielded plentiful fruits. At this moment, I cannot hide my excitement and delight and I would like to take the liberty of sharing it with you.

The Foreign Languages Press, or FLP, has a history of 54 years and is a large publishing house under China International Publishing Group, or CIPG. FLP's publications cover a wide range of fields in the humanities and social sciences. FLP has compiled, translated, and published, in 43 languages, a great number of works by Party and government leaders, significant documents, some 600 Chinese literary classics, and many books and albums introducing China and Chinese culture. Currently, we produce over 500 titles every year and distribute them around the world to over 100 countries and regions.

Our cooperation with Yale University Press began in the early 1990s. After many rounds of friendly negotiations between our two parties, we reached a common understanding to adopt a new pattern for co-publishing the series "Culture & Civilization of China". The series, whose books fall into three categories -- illustrated studies, Chinese literary classics and Chinese philosophy, is the biggest ever China-USA co-publishing project.

FLP and the New World Press, both important members of CIPG, took on the major publishing tasks for the series. Now we can see the rich fruits that cooperation has yielded. The first book in the series, Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting, was published in 1997. This was followed in 2002 by Chinese Architecture, in 2004 by Key Concepts in Chinese Philosophy and Balanced Discourses, in 2005 by The Formation of Chinese Civilization: An Archaeological Perspective, and, in 2006, by Chinese Sculpture. Currently, translation and editing are under way for three further illustrated studies -- Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Ceramics and Chinese Silk Art -- and these will be published in succession over the next two years.

Sixteen years of cooperation in practice have enabled us to find a completely new pattern of cooperation. With the series "Culture & Civilization of China" we discarded the old system whereby Chinese writers simply wrote the books which were then handed to the foreign party to publish. A new co-publishing pattern of joint-planning, joint-editing and joint-publication was adopted. In this both Chinese and Western authors first discuss the book outline, do fieldwork together, write separately and then exchange their drafts for suggested improvements, culminating in the publishers finalizing the text and publishing the books. Since signing the agreement, our two parties have enlisted the services of more than two hundred noted Chinese and Western experts and scholars in the writing, translating and editing of the series.

This cooperation pattern has enhanced the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the books, enriched their content and ensured that they possess the dual values of social significance and academic approbation. This pattern of cooperation provides our books on Chinese culture with access to the main foreign distribution channels. Through the cooperation project, we established and maintained close contact with a good number of famous scholars, from whom we have learned a great deal. We were deeply impressed by their meticulous attitude toward their studies and by their academic perseverance. Moreover, their positive cooperation and love for Chinese culture touched our hearts.

Here, I would like to express our gratitude to the scholars and experts at home and abroad involved in this cooperation project, to every one who has devoted painstaking effort in publishing "Culture & Civilization of China" and to our friends who have rendered unfailing support. I would also like to express special thanks to Yale University President Mr. Richard C. Levin, to Yale University Press Director Mr. John Donatich, to Assistant Secretary of Yale University Ms. Fawn Wang, and to Ms. Taiping Chang Knechtges, US Executive Chief Editor of the "Culture & Civilization of China" series. To all respected guests, my thanks for being here at this celebration event and for supporting our undertaking.

But as we look back on our achievements of the past, let us look also to the future. I am very happy to see the recent agreement between Yale University and CIPG on deepening our cooperation. Besides producing series on Chinese culture, we will strengthen cooperation in copyright trade and in the publication of Chinese and English language teaching materials in the future. Let us work hand in hand together, adding our joint strength to the cause of international cultural exchange.

May you all be happy in your life and successful in your work!

Thank you all!

(China.org.cn November 14, 2006)