China unveils books to promote Mandarin in India

Chinese publishers new-found interest in the Indian publishing market became evident at the 16th Delhi Book Fair. It could be the Central Board of Secondary Educations (CBSE) decision to introduce Mandarin language in schools or simply the massive size of the Indian market that provided the impetus for participation by the Chinese. What was clear was that the group of 35 Chinese publishers wanted to make their presence felt and provided information about almost everything related to China.

The Chinese delegation has come under the China Publications Expo International and aims to promote its publishing industry. Its emphasis does not seem to be on retail sales. They have showcased an interesting mix at the book fair and have elicited a positive response from students of all age-groups and Indian publishers.

Liu Li, Assistant Director, China Publications Expo International said, “We are focusing on promoting the language and are exhibiting approximately 1,000 titles at this fair. There are a lot of childrens books. The idea is to teach Chinese to foreign students. The books range from elementary to higher level. There are about eight dictionaries on display and over a dozen childrens books. Most of the books are in Chinese language or are bilingual. There are books for teachers aspiring to teach Chinese language in schools.”

Speaking about the collection on display, a Master’s student of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Cheu Qing said, “It is an impressive collection. Apart from books that will help in learning the language, there are books on art and culture, fiction, martial art, Chinese history as well as popular Chinese fiction.” From songs to Chinese instruments or from Chinese poems to comics, the Chinese delegation presented an all-encompassing collection at this years edition of the fair.

However, promotion of Chinese language was not solely confined to Chinese publishers. An equally enthusiastic group of Indian publishers have entered the fray and are all set to give their Chinese counterparts a tough fight. With CBSE drawing its plans to introduce the language at school level, over 10 Indian publishers are already promoting their books at the fair.

Source: The Times of India, December 26, 2010