China was guest of honor at the 39th Moscow International Book Fair, sending nearly 100 delegates and showcasing about 3,000 titles ranging from contemporary fiction to children's classics and cultural works.
This year's fair ran from Sept. 2 to 6. The exchange will extend beyond Moscow, with Russia set to be guest of honor at the Beijing International Book Fair in 2028, giving Russian authors and publishers direct access to Chinese readers.
Chinese literature is crossing a new border as writers, publishers and readers come together in Moscow to explore stories, ideas and a growing cultural connection between China and Russia.
"We have long maintained a wealth of mature content in copyright transactions with Russia. This year, we have brought a large Chinese delegation to the book fair, and we hope it will secure more deals. We have also brought ten authors here," said Lei Jianhua, deputy general director of China National Publications Import and Export Corporation.
Through literature, art and illustrations, Russian visitors are able to get a closer look at Chinese culture.
"It's a pity that these books cannot be purchased yet. I'm interested in both art and technology, as well as these wonderful children's books," said Nazeli, a tapestry artist.
For Russian visitors, the Chinese pavilion is a chance to discover a culture through its books and illustrations.
"I'm very interested in this exhibition. It's interesting to see books from other cultures. China is a very interesting country for me, its culture. I like looking through the books here," said Irina, a procurement consultant.
For some other readers, this is the beginning of a much closer acquaintance with Chinese culture.
"I recently became acquainted with Chinese culture, and it captivated me. It's an incredible heritage. Having all this Chinese literature represented at the exhibition is very valuable for us. We knew very little about China for a long time. When these doors opened, we began discovering the richness of Chinese heritage," said Anastasia, a reader at the book fair.
Some Chinese publishers are putting the two cultures directly on the same page.
"We brought books about cultural exchange between China and Russia, including 'Hello, Russia!' and an anthology of Chinese and Russian poetry published by our company. We also have a series about Tchaikovsky's 'Seasons', created through cooperation between our countries," said Zhang Xingyang, a representative of Qingdao Publishing House.
China showcases 3,000 titles as guest of honor at Moscow Book Fair
The 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) opened in the coastal city of Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday, drawing international exhibitors and delegations to connect global investors with key Chinese markets.
The four-day fair has brought together over 1,200 government agencies and business delegations from 129 countries and regions, which includes 48 of the world's top 50 economies by GDP, while 30 international organizations are also participating.
This year's event marks the biggest ever edition of the long-running trade fair, with the total exhibition space expanding to some 200,000 square meters. It also features 14 specialized exhibition zones, showcasing investment opportunities in various promising sectors including China's "new quality productive forces", an economic strategy which stresses high-tech innovation as a new growth driver, as well as the "Silk Road Maritime" initiative, which looks to resurrect ancient sea trading routes.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Zhou Zuyi, secretary of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, said Fujian will step up efforts to establish new mechanisms for a more open economy.
"We will keep expanding institutional opening-up and actively aligning with high-standard global trade rules. We're seizing the opportunity from the pilot program to expand services trade. We're also upgrading our free trade zones, focusing on tech innovation, green development, and digital economy. All to build a more open economy, faster," Zhou said.
This year's edition has also introduced a "dual guest countries of honor" mechanism for the first time, with Finland and Saudi Arabia jointly assuming the role. Two Chinese guest provinces have also been named, with the southern Guangdong and the northwestern Qinghai Province given the honor. The fair is structured around three core thematic sections, namely "Invest in China," "China's Outbound Investment," and "International Investment," and will also see more than 40 key investment promotion events, along with nearly 100 supporting activities being held.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Pedro Manuel Moreno, the Acting Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), emphasized that increasing investment in key strategic fields is essential, saying the trade fair offers a valuable platform for exchanges.
"Strategic sectors, like AI, semiconductors, critical minerals, or clean energy now account for almost half of the value of all new investment projects. This is why I believe gatherings like CIFIT matter more than ever, because the central challenge today is no longer only to mobilize more capital. It is to connect capital to the right projects, in the right places," he said.
First launched in 1997, the CIFIT, organized by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, has become an important platform for boosting investment and facilitating global development.
Global investors, business leaders gather in Xiamen for int'l investment, trade fair
