The Chinese publication authority has selected 67 books relating to the late Chairman Mao Zedong to be published or reprinted to mark the 110th anniversary of Mao's birthday on Dec. 26.

"All these books, which have been put on the list of key publications, must be published before the end of November," the China Press and Publishing Journal, the mouthpiece of China's Press and Publication Administration, reported.

Mao, the founding father of the People's Republic of China, was born in 1893 and died on Sept. 9, 1976, after serving as the country's leader for nearly 30 years.

The books on the publishing list include Mao's biography, poems and letters, as well as experts' comments on his military, economic and social thoughts.

The selection of the books, which involved experts from Chinese academies and research institutes, was jointly organized and overseen by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Press and Publication Administration of China. The candidate books were submitted by all publishing houses in China.

The Press and Publication Administration of China has issued a circular to local authorities and publishing houses across the country, urging them to do a good job in publishing these books.

All publishing houses should assign competent editors and proofreaders with high political awareness to the publication, and the quality of the books must be guaranteed, says the circular.

After the publication, exhibitions will be held in bookstores of all major cities to promote their sale, the circular adds.

(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2003)