Chinese publisher Zhu Daping gained instant popularity in the U.S. after running a full-page ad in the New York Times promoting his books on President Xi. (Photo : www.publishingperspectives.com)
Chinese publisher Zhu Daping ran a full-page paid advertisement in the New York Times to promote his new books on President Xi Jinping, earning him popularity in the U.S.
The Want China Times reported that the ad appeared in the Sept. 7 edition of the American newspaper promoting two books from Zhu's New York-based CN Times Books: "The Xi Jinping Era: His Comprehensive Strategy Towards The China Dream" and "Xi Jinping: How to Read Confucius and other Chinese Classical Thinkers."
The books reportedly contained a welcome message in Chinese celebrating the Communist Party leader's visit to the United States this week.
"Since President Xi is going to visit the U.S. in late September, I seized on the opportunity to promote our books and welcome him," Zhu said in an interview with China's Global Times.
Forbes, however, reported that Zhu's publishing firm is also releasing other books, its first series of study on Chinese culture, history and politics in the U.S.
According to the report, Zhu's career started in 1995 at the Beijing Propaganda Department, where he worked closely with ministry-level Chinese government officials for five years.
He also produced training and educational materials for Party cadres for eight years, before establishing Beijing MediaTime Books in 2008, the parent company of CN Times Books. He decided to venture abroad two years ago to seek growth.
In five years, Zhu's Beijing MediaTime Books, 50 percent of it owned by his family, has expanded into a $50-million business that earns $6 million profit annually.
Originally, Zhu's goal was to release 100 books under $5 million for 10 Chinese publishing groups that he had signed contract with. Most of them are translated works of Chinese authors that introduce China's cultural, historical and political values. These include titles such as "Three Confucian Classics," "The Spirit of the Chinese People" and "On Reform."
On the more political side, there are "Quotations of Mao Zedong" and "Mao on Warfare."
