On April 21st, 2009, the “Regulation on Legislative Procedure of General Administration of Press and Publication” was approved at the first meeting of the General Administration of Press and Publication. It was to take effect from June 1st, 2009. Until now, a system of publications with laws as the core, and based on administrative regulations as an effective supplement, has been created in China, shaping a law enforcement system protected by the judicial and administrative system that has played an active role in the protection of the sound development of Chinese publishing.
Publication Talent Groups have Enlarged with Remarkable Accomplishments in Professional Education and Research
High quality talent is the foundation for the rapid development of the publishing industry in which changes have taken place in terms of employees’ structure and quality. A group of comprehensive talents have stood out. From 1978 to 1997, the annual rate of increase of employees in the industry was 11%. From 1998 to 2008, the rate reached 16%.
Meanwhile, publication education and research has grown fast, providing theoretical guidance and talent support to the prosperity of publishing industry. In terms of education for publications, from the 1980s, a complete professional education system of publications for multiple disciplines, levels and channels has been formed. Until 2008, undergraduate editorial and publication programs have been available in more than 70 universities or colleges. More than 40 universities or colleges offer postgraduate programs and 10 offer doctorate level programs. In terms of publication research, from 1977 to 1980, a new upsurge in the establishment of research institutions has been evident in different provinces, cities, autonomous regions, and 14 printing technology institutions have emerged.
In 1985, approved by State Council, the China Institution of Publishing and Distribution was set up (which changed its name into the Chinese Institution of Publishing Science in 1989). After that, different types of publishing research organizations have been established one by one and a network of publishing, printing, periodicals, newspaper, media and copyright research was gradually formed.
Many academic exchanges such as the International Publishing Symposium, the Annual Meeting of Chinese Edition Science and so on are held frequently. Every year, many academic achievements are made. Until 2008, 425 monograph textbooks and 38 types of periodicals were published. In addition, some professional academic networks comprising the Network of Chinese Press and Publication, the Network of Chinese Publishing and the Publication and Academic Network have become new platforms of academic exchange.
Publishing Industries in Mainland of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao have Bloomed, Forming the Pattern of Diversity in Unity for Chinese-language Publishing
While the publishing industry in the mainland developed rapidly, those of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao have also undergone great development. The pattern of diversity in unity of Chinese-language publishing has been based on the joint development of publishing in the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.
The publishing industry of the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao play an active role in the spread of Chinese civilization as well as in the patterns of publication in the world. At the Chinese-language publishing forum in the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2009, Vice-Director of the General Administration of Press and Publications Wu Shulin pointed out in his keynote speech named “Jointly Create a Bright Future for Chineselanguage Publishing by Enhancing Tradition and Exerting Advantages,” that Chinese-language publishing boasts a great cultural tradition, namely, the publishing philosophies of researching and applying what is experienced, drawing lessons from the ancient and perceiving reality, the publishing spirit of writing the truth and being loyal to history, publishing content that records history in a flourishing age with extensive knowledge and profound scholarship, the publishing of selfcultivation, of self-sacrifice and seeking perfection, the publishing organization supported and supplemented by the government and average people, the continual renovation and updated innovation of printing technology, open-minded exchanges and various suggestions and opinions.
Chinese-language publishing has enjoyed a sound development based on rich resources from the long-standing and well-established Chinese civilization, the solid foundation offered by the elevation of comprehensive national power of China, the reliable power formed by the current scale and experience of Chinese-language publishing in mainland of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, the huge market demand at home and abroad. In the near future, Chinese-language publishing in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao will experience greater development and play an increasingly significant part in the global publishing industry.