CPG: eyeing on acquiring Indian titles on culture and computer science

China Publishing Group is a large-scale national publishing institution in China and they are planning to participate at the upcoming New Delhi World Book Fair 2016 in a big way. Here, Li Yan, vice president, China Publishing Group Corporation, shares more about CPG, in conversation with Varsha Verma.The Chinese publishing industry is significantly large and China publishes around 4,40,000 titles every year, growing at a rate of 3 percent in 2014, told Li Yan, vice president, China Publishing Group Corporation.

Li Yan

“In 2013, the industry was growing at 4 percent while the growth rate in 2012 was 8 percent.” Talking about digital publishing, Li told that the growth in digital publishing has been 20 percent per annum. China Publishing Group (CPG) is a large-scale national publishing institution, founded in view of intensifying the reform and accelerating the development in publishing industry. Granted by the Central Government of China, the Group was established on April 9, 2002. The Group consists of ten large publishing houses and three publications wholesalers, namely, the People’s Literature Publishing House, the Commercial Press, Zhonghua Book Company, Encyclopaedia of China Publishing House, China Fine Arts Publishing Group, People’s Music Publishing House, SDX Joint Publishing Company, CTPC Publishing House, Orient Publishing Centre, Xinhua Bookstore Head Office, China National Publishing Industry Trading Corporation and China National Publications Import & Export (Group) Corporation. Besides books, CPG also deals in 55 periodicals related to social science and news.

“In fact, we are the largest publisher of trade and professional books, including encyclopaedias, dictionaries, academia especially social science. We export printed copies as well as sell rights to foreign countries. China Publishing Group has been rated as one amongst the top fifty publishers of the world. CPG dominates more than 7 percent of the domestic retailing market for thirteen years now,” told Li.

Talking more about the exports, he told, “We are largest book exporter and importer in China. We annually export books worth $14 million while copyright export amounts to more than 600 titles.” On asking about the Indian publishing industry, Li replied, “CPG has many cooperations with Indian publishing. Last year, Encyclopaedia of India-China Culture Contacts was released in India. Its Chinese counterpart was published by CPG. We are also closely working on Indo-China Classic Works Project in which Indian works are translated in Chinese and vice-versa.”

He also talked about their title – Sino India Maritime Strategies imported and published by China Democracy & Legal System Publishing House (under CPG). Since CPG is working on Indo-China Works Project, CPG is now focusing on participating at upcoming New Delhi World Book Fair 2016 (January 9-17, 2016). “The president of CPG will probably be there at the show and there would be at least ten publishers from the group,” told Li.

So what kind of Indian books would CPG be interested in? “Culture is the foremost focus for rights exchange and so is the computer science,” he said. As a message to Indian publishers, he said, “Both India and China are neighbours and have rich culture and heritage.” Infact, Li has majored in history and has learnt a lot about Indian history and country. He personally feels that India has lot of mystery around it and he would really like to know more about it.