After two years, Chinese Harry Potter fans will resume the adventures in the long-awaited sixth Harry Potter book together with readers worldwide.
   
China International Book Trading Corporation (CIBTC) will release Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by British author J.K. Rowling, on the international release date July 16 this year.
   
"The Harry Potter books will be sold at Xinhua bookstores across the country," said Jiang Tao, import center manager of CIBTC Wednesday.
   
According to Jiang, there will be four editions of the new Harry Potter book, UK and US children's editions and adult editions.
   
"The edition we will import is UK's children's edition," Jiang said.
   
He explained that there are no major differences in these editions but since the story is set in Britain, the company has decided to import the UK's edition.
   
The upcoming release will be the second time that CIBTC cooperated with Harry Potter's official publisher Bloomsbury. In 2003, CIBTC released the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in China, which sold more than half a million copies.
   
Jiang said that the number of imported copies of the sixth Harry Potter book and the price are still uncertain.
   
"In view of the popularity of Harry Potter around the world, sales of the English version of the book is certainly full of prospects," Jiang said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2005)