Respected Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Mr. Jiang Zhenghua:
Respected Minister of the Information Office of the State Council Mr. Cai Wu:
Respected Vice President of the General Administration of Press and Publications Mr. Wu Shulin:
Respected President of Yale University Mr. Levin:
Respected US Ambassador to China Mr. Randt:
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Today we happily gather here to introduce the major series "Culture & Civilization of China", the cooperation project between China International Publishing Group (CIPG) and Yale University of the United States.
 
I would like to extend our warm welcome to President Levin of Yale University, to Mr. Donatich, Director of Yale University Press, to Ms. Fawn Wang, Assistant Secretary of Yale University, and to Ms. Taiping Chang Knechtges, US Executive Chief Editor of the "Culture & Civilization of China" series, who have all made a special journey to be here.
 
This year marks the sixteenth year of the "Culture & Civilization of China" series, a co-publishing project between CIPG and Yale University, and a pioneering act in the history of China-US co-publishing. A new pattern of cooperation was adopted with regard to this project, whereby authors in both countries worked simultaneously on the same books so as to introduce the cultural riches of China to overseas readers in a way that is easy for them to understand. The books in this series were compiled and presented to readers so that they become the common wealth of all humankind. Books in this series have received prestigious awards in both countries and have been state gifts to US presidents from Chinese heads of state.

The project received full support from many eminent people. Among the members of the Advisory Council are George H.W. Bush, former President of the United States of America, Henry A. Kissinger, former Secretary of State of the United States of America, Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs of the United States of America, J. Stapleton Roy, former US Ambassador to China, and Mrs. Nelson A. Rockefeller. On the Chinese side are former Chinese leaders Rong Yiren and Huang Hua, and Chai Zemin, the first Chinese Ambassador to the United States. We also have a world-renowned contingent of writers. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all the writers, translators and publishers involved in this project for their tremendous contribution.
 
Today as we look back at what we have achieved in the four illustrated studies in this series, namely, Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting, Chinese Architecture, The Formation of Chinese Civilization: An Archaeological Perspective and Chinese Sculpture, we are looking forward to next three -- Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Ceramics and Chinese Silk Art -- which will come out in 2007 and 2008.
 
CIPG has more than 50 years' experience in publishing in both Chinese and foreign languages. It provides readers all over the world with a wealth of information about China through books, periodicals, audiovisual products and the Internet. The Group owns nine book-publishing houses and five periodical publishers. Every year they publish more than 2,600 titles in 20 languages, as well as 24 printed journals and 25 on-line journals. These books and journals are distributed in more than 100 countries and regions. CIPG attaches importance to international cooperation and exchange; it has set up offices in nine countries and regions to publish and distribute its publications.

Yale University is one of the universities in the United States having the longest historical ties with China and its President Levin is a man of international vision. He has devoted himself to cultural and educational exchange between China and the United States. Yale University Press, one of the top five university presses in the United States, has done brilliant work in publishing books in the field of the humanities. Without the unfailing support of Yale University and without the diligent work of Yale University Press, we would not have done so well in the selection of the topics, the translation and distribution of this series.

Ladies and gentlemen, when China's President Hu Jintao visited the United States this April, he presented Yale University some Chinese books as a gift. This series was among them. That the fruit of our cooperation has played an important role in friendly exchange between our two countries is the best reward for our hard work over all these years.

I am pleased to announce that CIPG and Yale University have recently reached consensus on new cooperation projects. Harnessing the strengths of each side, we will work together to compile and publish Chinese language teaching materials for American students and English language teaching materials for Chinese students. This new project will bear new fruits for our cooperation.

I hope this mode of cooperation between CIPG and Yale University will attract more people to join us in promoting China-US cultural exchange and in constructing the bridge of friendship across the Pacific. I hope all guests present will share the happiness of our harvest. I wish all of you good health and good luck.
 
Thank you all!

(China.org.cn November 14, 2006)