Readers at Beijing International Book Fair 2010. [CFP/China.org.cn]

 

"If you really want to present information from and about China to Western readers, it's central that they have an equal understanding of Chinese culture…It's one thing to translate content literally but it's another and much more difficult to preserve the authenticity of that content during translation…so language is only one consideration along social, cultural and political lines."

Dun added that to go global, Chinese publishers need to add international expertise to local companies. One way to do this is through the acquisition of foreign publishing firms.

"Before considering any candidate that we would attempt to seriously pursue, we conduct a process that we call in the US due diligence," he said, adding that the rigorous examination of virtually every aspect of the target company is essential.

For Chinese publishers, it is less risky to set up its own branches overseas as it is easier to control the process, he advised, while warning that this option can be lengthy. One proven way to speed up the process of going global is to make effective use of partnerships, he said. Dunn added that a major challenge is how to incorporate the company's culture into your own, especially when conducting business abroad.

Chinese publishers can also set up joint ventures in foreign lands, which will take less time than establishing their own organizations overseas, Dunn said.

Nie added that from a local perspective, improving and modernizing the way of disseminating works and publications is also important.

"Digitalization can accelerate the development of internationalization and will also make the flow of the industry more scientific, shorten the circulation cycle and offer more convenience in cooperation."

According to the General Administration of Press and Publication, China's digital publishing sector generated 79.94 billion yuan ($11.76 billion) in revenue in 2009, exceeding that of traditional book publishing business and registering a year-on-year growth of 50.6 percent.

For Chinese publishers, the problem is that a distribution system for digital publishing has not been established, he said.

Dunn added that identifying the needs of different reader groups is also a way forward and that publishing firms need to be careful not to rely on modern technology too much. "Digitalization is part of the answer but it is not the whole thing. We need to see what the trend is in five years time," he said.

BIBF will run until Friday at China International Exhibition Center.