A senior Chinese leader Wednesday has called for accelerated reform in publication sector and increasing exports of Chinese publications to promote international understanding of China.

Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited the on-going 13th Beijing International Book Fair on Wednesday evening.

Li asked the publication and distribution sectors to "speed up reform" and to "cultivate conglomerates that can exert international influence".

Meanwhile, Chinese publishers should increase their share of the global market to curb continuous trade deficit of China's publishing industry.

The deficit stands at US$149 million despite the country being a world leader in total publications, according to the General Administration of Press and Publication.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2006)