Senior publicity officials of the Communist Party of China (CPC)
yesterday called for a general overhaul of the 70-year-old Xinhua
Bookstore.
Xinhua Bookstore originated on April 24, 1937, founded by
Communist revolutionaries in Yan'an, the Communist base in
northwestern Shaanxi Province, as an organ through which to
spread revolutionary works and periodicals prior to the Party's
prominence after 1949.
It was once the only bookstore in China, with branches across
the country under the planned economy. Its power waned after the
introduction of private bookstores during the period of economic
market reforms.
The bookstore itself has moved to become a major distributing
conglomerate, incorporating 3,100 subsidiary companies, 14,000
chain stores and hiring 150,000 employees.
"For 70 years, Xinhua Bookstore has helped promote the Party's
policies, culture and thought. Its contribution to the development
of Chinese society has been felt in both wartime and peacetime,"
said Li Changchun, a member of the Standing
Committee of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee. "I hope
Xinhua Bookstore will undergo rapid reforms to better cater to the
public's growing demands in this global cultural age."
Li added that Xinhua Bookstore should also strive to better
promote Chinese culture around the world.
?(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2007)
