Amid concerns about the impact Chinese books can have abroad, the
US novel
When
the Purple Mountain Burns has been drawing attention at the
Beijing International Book Fair not just for its plot set during
the Nanjing massacre, but also because it marks a new chapter in
Chinese publishing.
Written by Chinese-American novelist Shouhua Qi, the book
provides a rich historical view of the atrocities committed by
Japanese troops during World War II. However, its publisher, Long
River Press (LRP), is also making history.
"It marks a milestone in China's entry into the international
publishing market," said Xu Mingqiang, chief executive of LRP, the
first US-based Chinese publisher to release a book about China
written by a United States-born author.
The LRP, jointly established by the China International
Publishing Group (CIPG) and the Hong Kong United Press Co. in 2002,
has promoted its products?to the shelves of mainstream US
bookstores and on the listings of online retailer Amazon.
"It's the growing enthusiasm for Chinese culture worldwide that
has created the opportunities for us," said Xu, who boasts over 30
years of international publishing experience.
Xu had sensed the growing interest of US readers in Chinese
culture and decided the time was right to enter the US market. His
intuition was supported by an article, in Time magazine's
June Asian edition, telling readers that learning Chinese was the
key to profiting from the country's booming economy.
About 100,000 people in the US have learned Chinese, which has
been included on school curriculums. Worldwide, more than 30
million people are studying Chinese as a second language and 2,500
universities in 100 countries the subject.
Xu says LRP is set to publish more US-born writers specializing
in Chinese language and culture. The firm's booth at the ongoing
International Book Fair includes two Chinese-learning books written
by American Sinologists and one book on Chinese women aviators
during WWII, all written by native English speakers.
"Surging demand for Chinese books has boosted international
cooperation," said Xu. "Publishers from Britain, France, Germany
and Singapore have shown great interest in our books, and some
Chinese firms are seeking cooperation with the US through us."
Zhou Mingwei, vice president of CIPG, said Chinese publishers had
opened up the US mainstream market. As China's biggest foreign
language publishing organization, the CIPG has succeeded by taking
a localized strategy, according to Zhou.
"Chinese culture differs greatly in thinking patterns from
Western culture, which poses a serious challenge for the publishing
industry," said Xu. LRP learned a lesson from Yao Ming's book which
was not successful in the US market, as most US basketball fans
cared only for the native players.
"We should learn from the US and observe the local rules," Xu
said. Two years ago, LRP became a shareholder in a US-funded
publishing house named "China Books". LRP now has 18 staff, 13 of
whom are US-born.
Chen Shaofeng, deputy director of the Culture Industry Research
Institute at Beijing University, mirrored the debate’s flipside,
saying China's cultural sector would have to compete fiercely in
the international market and cultural industries should adopt a
chain development strategy.
China holds only 1.5 percent of the global cultural products
market, while the United States accounts for 40 percent.
However, China is growing in areas such as copyright transfers
of Chinese-learning materials. At the Frankfurt Book Fair in
Germany last October, Chinese publishing houses sold the rights to
615 items.
(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2006)
