Reading into Chinese Culture

by Liu Yang and Huang Liwei

On December 1， 2019， China International Book Trading Corporation （CIBTC） celebrated its 70th founding anniversary. Over the past seven decades， it has witnessed the incubation and development of Chinese books and magazines distributed overseas since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China through the corporations drive to promote the voice of China.

In May 1949， final victory in Chinas national liberation was just around the corner. To encourage peoples passion to study Marxism and Leninism， the Publishing Commission under the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China（CPC） Central Committee ordered numerous publications from the Soviet Union. In this context， Kuo Chi Book Co.， the predecessor of CIBTC， was founded in Dongzongbu Hutong of Dongcheng District in Beijing. As the first delivery of about 5，000 Communist books and magazines arrived at the bookstore， a distribution drive of Chinese publications continuing for seven decades straight essentially started.

“Mr. Shudian”

After the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949， publicizing the Chinese peoples construction achievements around the world and learning advanced technologies and management experiences from foreign countries to support domestic economic and social development became urgent tasks. However， New China suffered blockades and trade embargoes from foreign hostile forces， so overseas distribution of Chinese publications faced many challenges.

Kuo Chi Book Co. took an early lead in importing foreign books and magazines and exhibiting original foreign books in China. In 1951， the first batch of nearly 30 Chinese newspapers and magazines， including foreign-language versions of China Pictorial and Peoples China， were delivered to numerous overseas distribution centers by the company. By 1957， it had established business relations with more than 370 partners in more than 50 countries and regions， forming an initial global distribution network.

In March 1963， the company set up a mail order service department to directly supply books and magazines to foreign readers， improving service channels connecting overseas readers and Chinese publications.

In 1956， Kuo Chi Book Co. participated in the Frankfurt Book Fair for the first time. Compared to todays exhibition space covering thousands of square meters， the 50-square-meter Chinese exhibition booth at that years book fair was extremely tiny.

Cao Jianfei， then deputy general manager of Kuo Chi Book Co.， was left with a deep impression of his experience participating in the book fair. “During the public open days， our booth was one of the most popular and attracted many to linger every day from the opening hour to closing，” he recalled.

“We wrote our company name as Guoji Shudian in pinyin on the list of exhibitors，” Cao revealed with a chuckle. “For a long time after the book fair， many foreign publishers didnt get that it was a company name， and we received many letters addressed to ‘Mr. Shudian for this reason.”

However， in that special era， “Mr. Shudian” became a window for the world to understand China.

Opportunities and Challenges

Changes in reading habits and drastic renovations of the information transmission mechanism since the turn of the 21st century have caused the overseas distribution mode and product structure of Chinese books and magazines to undergo similarly profound changes.

As Chinas first cross-border e-commerce company engaged in import and export of publications by the postal network， CIBTC started cooperation with U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon by opening a China Books store in 2011 to make Chinese publications accessible anywhere in the world.

Rapid development of the internet has driven the new cross-border e-commerce industry to achieve dramatic growth. Following industrial development trends， CIBTC endeavored to develop its own advantages by focusing on building an “industry platform” and “e-commerce” for development goals. In April 2017， CIBTC decided to build a cross-border e-commerce export service platform for Chinese cultural products.

Launched on December 1， 2017， the platform supports customs clearance at ports in Beijing， Shanghai and Shenzhen and provides export services to 190 countries and regions around the world. As of July 2019， total exports through the platform had hit US$300 million with more than 28 million cumulative orders.

“The establishment and development of the platform marks that CIBTC has gradually transformed from one of the largest book import and export companies in China into one of the largest cross-border e-commerce foreign trade service enterprises for Chinese cultural products，” announced Jia Qiang， deputy general manager of CIBTC.

Chinese Bookshelf

Over the past 70 years， the overseas enthusiasm for reading works of Chinese leaders has never faded. The first foreign-language edition of Chairman Mao Zedongs work On the Peoples Democratic Dictatorship opened a window for Western readers to learn about Mao Zedong Thought.

In recent years， CIBTC set up a “Chinese Bookshelf” at major bookstores in many foreign countries and has become a major distributor of Chinese-themed publications abroad including Chinese President Xi Jinpings book series Xi Jinping： The Governance of China. Such efforts are part of CIBTCs dedication to promoting Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and introducing Chinas governance ideas and contemporary development path to the world.

Over the past seven decades， CIBTC has developed from“Mr. Shudian” with only 40 staff members to a major distributor of Chinese books and magazines in overseas markets. Through a distribution network reaching more than 180 countries and regions， CIBTC exports more than half of all books and magazines leaving China every year.

Across 70 years of development， CIBTC has led the overseas distribution of Chinese publications and the drive to promote the culture of New China.