Books and Periodicals China now has over 560 publishing houses, which offer new and established books of about 100,000 titles to the market every year. The state has also planned important book publication projects and established prizes for excellent books many times to promote the development of the publishing industry. In the last 15 years of the 20th century, government awards were issued to nearly 1,200 books.

The development of periodicals has been amazing. In 1949, there were only 257 periodicals in China, with a total impression of 20 million copies, or less than 0.1 copy per capita. After the reform and opening-up, in 1979, the number of periodicals rose to 1,470, with a total impression of 1.184 billion copies, or one copy per capita. In 2001, there were as many as 8,725 periodicals, with a total impression of 2.9 billion copies, or more than two copies per capita.

Publishing in China will develop along the line of intensive management in the coming five years. It is planned that, by 2005, there will be five to 10 publishing groups each with an annual sales income of one to 10 billion yuan, 10 to 20 periodicals with worldwide influence and one to two periodical groups each with an annual sales income of 300 million to 500 million yuan.

Electronic Publications With the acceleration of the information processing industry in China, an electronic publications market is rapidly coming of age. At present, there are 36 electronic publishing units operating with the permission of the Press and Publications Administration of China, putting out more than 200 electronic publications.

Foreign-language Publishing The China International Publishing Group (CIPG) plays a unique role in China’s foreign-language publishing and exchanges. This large-scale publishing group featuring publishing, printing and distribution of foreign-language books and periodicals puts out five magazines in English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese, and has seven publishing houses, and several websites in several languages. The five magazines are Beijing Review, China Today, China Pictorial, People’s China, and El Popola Cinio,. The seven publishing houses, including Foreign languages Press and New World Press, publish nearly 1,000 titles on different subjects in more than 20 foreign languages every year. The titles are distributed to 190-odd countries and regions, playing an important role in enabling people of other countries to gain a better understanding of China. The China International Book Trading Corporation, a member of the CIPG, distributes foreign-language books and periodicals to 82 countries and regions, and holds exhibitions of Chinese books abroad.

The Intercontinental Communications Center This is a non-governmental international communications organization specializing mainly in producing multi-language audio-video products (including films and television programs) and regular publications. Since its founding in 1993, it has turned out several hundred hours of movies and television programs and hundreds of books annually, which reach well over 150 countries and regions across the world. These programs and books mainly introduce to the world China’s basic conditions, culture, customs, reform and opening-up, and modernization drive, as well as China’s views on issues of international concern.

The China Internet News Center The Center utilizes Internet technology to introduce the most authoritative and comprehensive information about China to people abroad. It went into operation on January 1, 1997. More than 90 percent of its audience are from abroad.