China's television industry has grown into a complete system with high-tech TV program production and transmission. China Central Television (CCTV) is the largest and most powerful national television station. At present, CCTV has established business relations with more than 250 television organizations in over 130 countries and regions. CCTV and the some 3,000 television stations across the country, as well as the satellite and ground network systems constitute the largest television network in the world. Industry events include the Shanghai Television Festival, Beijing International Television Week, China Radio and Television Exposition and Sichuan Television Festival. Besides judging and giving awards, these festivals also conduct academic television exchanges and the import and export of television programs, and hold international exhibitions and technology exchanges. Shanghai has become the largest television program trading market in Asia.
The Central People's Broadcasting Station (CPBS), the nation's official radio station, has eight channels, and broadcasts for a total of 156 hours per day through satellite. Every province, autonomous region and municipality has a local broadcasting station that relays some programs from the CPBS and programs with local characteristics. China Radio International (CRI), the only national overseas broadcasting station, is beamed to all parts of the world in 38 foreign languages, standard Chinese and four Chinese dialects. It offers various special programs of news, current affairs, remarks, entertainment, politics, economy, culture and technology and so on. Currently, CRI ranks third in overseas broadcasting time and languages in the world.
China Publishing Group incorporates publishing and distribution, chains, import and export trade, copyright trade, printing and copying, information technology services, technological exploration and capital operation of multi-media publication. Under its umbrella are 12 publishing units, including the Commercial Press, Joint Publishing Company, the head office of Xinhua Book Store, and China Book Import and Export (Group) Company. Meanwhile, in accordance with its World Trade Organization commitments, China opened its book, newspaper and magazine retail business to foreign investors in December 2002, although limited to certain areas of the country. In 2003 new regulations were issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and the State Press and Publication Administration (SPPA) to provide specific guidance on the establishment of foreign-funded book, newspaper and magazine distributors.In the face of these new circumstances, China's publishing industry continues to grow with wide reform and many mergers. According to a national plan, by 2005, China will have 5 to 10 publishing groups with an annual sale of 1 to even 10 billion yuan each; 10 to 20 periodicals with world-wide distribution and 1 to 2 periodical groups with the annual sale of 300 to 500 million yuan.
