Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for enhancing cultural exchanges to boost world peace at the opening ceremony of the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Xi, together with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, witnessed the opening of the 61st version of the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's biggest annual book fair. China has been selected as the Guest of Honor for this year's fair.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping speaks at the opening ceremony of the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 13, 2009. China is the Guest of Honor for the Frankfurt Book Fair. German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends the opening ceremony of the Frankfurt Book Fair.[Lan Hongguang/Xinhua]

While addressing the opening ceremony, Xi said the fair not only provides a vital chance for China to appreciate the elite cultural products worldwide, but also opens a window for the people from various nations to observe Chinese culture at a shorter distance.

Xi said the Chinese side will take the opportunity of serving as the Guest of Honor to introduce Chinese culture as well as its prosperous development in the publishing industry.

The Chinese side will also learn from the successful experience of other countries in publishing to increase mutual communication and cooperation in this particular field, Xi said.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L) talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel when they attend the opening ceremony of the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 13, 2009. China is the Guest of Honor for the Frankfurt Book Fair. [Rao Aimin/Xinhua]

From Oct. 14 to Oct. 18, the Chinese side and the host will stage over 600 Guest of Honor events, aimed at showcasing Chinese culture and boosting dialogue between Chinese scholars and their foreign counterparts.