The 61st Frankfurt Book Fair closed on October 18, 2009. Over the previous five days, the fair presented more than 400,000 books from more than 100 countries.

The fair is over, but Chinese publishers are just beginning to get busy. As of October 16, the copyright to more than 1,300 books had been sold to foreign publishers, and Chinese firms had signed up to import 883 overseas titles.

One book, titled Breaking Through: the Birth of China's Opening-Up Policy, was written by former Chinese Vice Premier Li Lanqing. The English version of the book was published by the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press of China, in cooperation with Oxford University Press.

An official from Oxford University Press said the book topped the company's most-recommended list, and he believed that modern China is currently the focus of the world's attention.

China's participation in the fair as Guest of Honor was the largest external exchange event ever held by China's publishing industry, and is considered a major event of cultural diplomacy.

Zhang Fuhai, a senior official from the Chinese delegation, said that this year China successfully introduced its culture to the world and made the world interested in China.

Copyright transaction negotiation is the most important part of the Frankfurt Book Fair. The latest statistics from the press conference of the fair's closing ceremony showed that China exported an unprecedented number of 2,417 copyright items.

"If the western world wants to know about China, they need various publications on China's politics, economy and culture," said Chen Xin, director-general of the Shanghai Century Publishing Group. Chen has been taking part in the fair since 1988.

According to Yu Chunchi, president of the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, many famous Chinese publishers are now doing more than simply "selling books" at the fair. They are taking the opportunity to cooperate with international publishers to produce books that match foreign readers' interests.

China is now deepening its reform of the publishing system. All 182 central publishers will be transformed to enterprises before the end of 2010.

As Guest of Honor, China wanted to use the opportunity to soundly develop its publishing industry, promote cooperation between Chinese and foreign publishers, and upgrade Chinese products' influence and competitiveness.

A series of forums and dialogues, as well as cultural art performances, were staged by the Chinese delegation at the fair.

Li Jiwei, chief designer of the Chinese pavilion, said he felt very proud to be Chinese. For him, it was the first time he had ever felt the influence of Chinese culture on the world.

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