On the whole, since 1995, the proportion between book copyright import and export has fluctuated. Before 2004 (except 1998 and 2002), the trade deficits of book copyright trade were above 10:1 with the highest 15:1. Since 2004, the deficits of copyright declined year after year, and the one of 2007 was 3.99:1, the lowest in the history, which can be seen from the chart below:
The total amount of book copyright import and export projects in China from 2001 to 2008
Year
Book copyright
import
Book copyright
export
Trade deficit
Import/
export
2001 8,250 653 7,597 12.63:1
2002 10,235 1,317 8,918 7.77:1
2003 12,516 811 11,705 15.43:1
2004 10,040 1,314 8,726 7.64:1
2005 9,382 1,434 7,948 6.54:1
2006 10,950 2,050 8,900 5.34:1
2007 10,255 2,571 7,684 3.99:1
2008 15,776 2,440 13,336 6.47:1
At present, China has actively imported the advanced printing technology and copyright from abroad, and continuously intensified efforts to introduce Chinese books to abroad. Under the guidance of the policy of “help China go to the world and let the world know China better,” Chinese government has began to adopt the strategy of “going global” for the past few years which included “China Book International” and “the “Project for Translation and Publication of Chinese Cultural Works” held by General Administration of Press and Publication and Information Office of the State Council. Through the way of providing translation subsidy, these two projects aim to encourage publishing agencies in different countries to translate and publish Chinese books and help people in various countries know China better through reading books in their familiar languages. Recently, more than 20 countries and over 50 publishing agencies have applies for these projects for translation subsidy. Additionally, with a continuous rise in the sales of publication abroad, China International Publishing Group and China Intercontinental Press have achieved a lot in external publication.