The 2016 New Delhi World Book Fair opened on Jan. 9. As this year's guest of honor, China introduced more than 5,000 excellent book titles and planned to hold more than 50 various events focusing on publishing and cultural exchange.
At the opening ceremony, Sun Shoushan, vice minister of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), gave a keynote speech on behalf of the guest of honor.
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Sun Shoushan [L1], SAPPRFT vice minister and Smriti Zubin Irani [L2], minister of Human Resource Development of India, press the button together to signify China's presence as the guest of honor at the 2016 New Delhi World Book Fair. [Photo by Lin Liyao/China.org.cn] |
Sun said, "The Chinese and Indian publishing industries have carried out increasingly close and deeper cooperation in recent years. China attaches great importance to cultural exchanges with other countries.
"While actively learning from, and drawing on, the results of world civilizations and the excellent cultures of foreign countries, China is working hard to promote its excellent books across the world, so as to help foreign readers understand the development and changes in contemporary China and the thoughts and lives of modern Chinese people."
"We believe the guest of honor event will further promote the cultural and publishing exchanges between the two countries, lead to the mutual translation and publication of more excellent books, and provide richer mental nourishment and cultural knowledge for readers in both countries," Sun said.
Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng also attended the event. "Looking back on the history of the two great civilizations of China and India, books play an important role in portraying their ideological, cultural and technological achievements to the world, as well as reflecting advanced cultural elements of different nations," he said.
Le thought that the guest of honor event would surely deepen the exchanges and communications between the two nations, while presenting a promising prospect of publishing cooperation between them.
Smriti Zubin Irani, minister of Human Resource Development of India, Vinay Sheel Oberoi, secretary of the Department of Higher Education in the Ministry of Human Resource Development, and representatives of Chinese and Indian authors and publishers also participated in the event.
The 2016 New Delhi World Book Fair, being held in the Pragati Maidan, will last until Jan.17.
