The Indonesia International Book Fair 2026 opened in Jakarta on Wednesday, with Chinese publishers presenting a selection of nearly 2,000 high-quality books of 800 titles, as part of efforts to strengthen China-Indonesia publishing cooperation and cultural exchanges.
The Chinese delegation is exhibiting a wide range of books, including ideological and theoretical works, contemporary literature, and Chinese-language textbooks, as well as works related to science and technology and people's livelihood. More than 50 percent of the exhibits are foreign-language editions.
Chinese and Indonesian publishers have exchanged views on multiple topics and reached preliminary results on publishing cooperation.
"I think this Indonesia International Book Fair 2026 can become a bridge to other cultures also, including with China, with many other friendly countries, to introduce the publications, books on many fields, especially on cultures, because cultures matters," said Fadli Zon, Indonesian Minister of Culture.
The fair also gives local readers an opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture through books.
"[The book fair] is really wonderful. We are able to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, covering periods from ancient times to the present. I think this is a very good event," said Fransiska, a visitor to the book fair.
The annually held event will run through Sunday in the capital city.
China brings 800 titles to Jakarta book fair, deepening cultural ties with Indonesia
The 2026 Global South Modernization Forum was held in Cairo on Wednesday, with participants calling for the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI).
More than 100 experts and scholars from nearly 30 countries and regions attended the forum, a joint initiative between Chinese and Egyptian institutions.
Under the theme "The Rise of Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges for Modernization in the Global South," the forum featured seminars and roundtable discussions exploring how Global South nations can become producers and innovators in AI.
Participants said innovation in AI technology presents enormous opportunities while also posing governance challenges.
"AI is a double-edged sword. For developing countries, it is an unprecedented development opportunity, but also an unprecedented challenge. In particular, AI not only improves labor productivity and the production of all elements, but also helps to solve many problems in development and the troubles of growth," said Cai Feng, a member of the academic committee of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The theme of the forum is inspired by Chinese President Xi Jinping's calls for AI to be for all, not controlled by some.
"If the capabilities of advanced artificial intelligence are concentrated in a limited number of countries and companies, technology may turn from a tool for development to a new source of hegemony over others. In this context, I would like to express my deep gratitude to China, which offers a lot to the countries of the South, of which it is a part, through its financial, geo-economic, technical, commercial and institutional tools," said Ezzat Saad, chairman of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs.
Participants commended China's efforts to expand AI cooperation by opening centers in several countries in the South and providing developing countries with 5,000 opportunities for AI training and seminars over the next five years.
"China has been very instrumental in really providing those sorts of opportunities and resources. A lot of brilliant people and scholars on the continent are unable to access certain opportunities because perhaps they don't have the finances to do so. When you have platforms such as this that can identify and train, then you have that ripple effect whereby you train one generation, and then they begin to spread that knowledge to help others," said Oyebanke Abejirin, economic affairs officer of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
2026 Global South Modernization Forum calls for effective use of AI
