According to Hai Ning, director of the CCPH, when the Belgian classic was introduced to China in May last year, numerous Tintin enthusiasts of all ages rushed to the bookstores to buy their own copies.

A month after its publication, the series registered the sale of hundreds of thousands of copies, setting a sales record for the CCPH.

Unfortunately, a pirated version of Tintin full of printing errors was discovered shortly after the official publication.

Relevant Chinese departments immediately took actions to crack down on the piracy.

Hai said that the launch of the second edition of the series is to meet the market demand as well as to fight more effectively against piracy.

According to Hai, the compact edition published today, which is almost half the price of the earlier edition but retains a high standard of printing.

Belgian Ambassador to China Johan Maricou, who attended the ceremony to launch the new edition, expressed his appreciation for China's quick and effective action in stopping the piracy of the book.

"Piracy is an international problem. Only by joint efforts from all nations, can we achieve success in fighting against it." He said it is clear that China respects and is ready to fulfil its commitments as a World Trade Organization (WTO) member.

The copyright director of Casterman expressed his confidence in future cooperation with Chinese partners as "intellectual property rights are increasingly respected and protected in China." He told the press that the Casterman will work with the CCPH to publish a new series of books in the near future.

(People?s Daily May 23, 2002)