The Regulations on Publication Management have become effective on February 1. The regulation further clearly defines the admission conditions and scope for China's publication market. According to it, the sale sector of books, newspapers and periodicals opens to foreign-funded enterprises.
The newly revised Regulations on the Management of Publications stipulates that the state allows the establishment of Sino-foreign joint ventures, Sino-foreign cooperative enterprises and foreign-funded enterprises to engage in the business of selling books, newspapers and periodicals.
The determination of units for the publication, printing and distribution of middle and primary school textbooks shall be open and just. Middle and primary school textbooks shall be examined and approved by the education administrative department under the State Council or organized examination and approval, its publishing, printing and distribution units shall be determined in the form of bidding or other form of openness and justness by the publication administrative department and the education administrative department together with pricing department under the people's government at or above the provincial level. In addition, no other units or individuals are allowed to engage in the business of the publication, printing and distribution of middle and primary school textbooks.
The Regulations also intensifies punishment of publishers who sell the book number.
(People’s Daily February 1, 2002)
