sajam-knjiga-2012-800x494.jpg (Photo : Belgrade My Way)
China is the guest of honor at the 59th International Belgrade Book Fair, which commenced on Oct. 26 and will run until November 2.
A goal for the book fair this year is to strengthen friendship, deepen mutual understanding and encourage strategic partnership between Serbia and China, according to a report by CNTV.
That aim is encapsulated in the fair's slogan "Books deepen friendships, cooperation build the future."
Representative from the Serbian Ministry of Culture, Chinese officials and the Chinese Ambassador to Serbia attended the opening of the Chinese section of the fair.
The section has 1,000 square meters for its display, the widest space allocated for Chinese publications in the fair's history. The Chinese delegation, meanwhile, is composed of 200 members, which includes 100 representatives from 60 publishing companies.
Sun Shoushan, an official belonging to the Chinese delegation, expressed delight in China's role in this year's book fair.
"The International Belgrade Book Fair is one of the most important book fair in central and eastern Europe. China, as this year's guest of honor, has opened a window for the people of Serbia to see and get a better understanding of China. The event provides an important platform for publishing communication and cooperation between the two countries," Sun said.
Chinese writers, books and publications will take the spotlight toward the end of the fair. Fair organizers at that juncture , meanwhile, organize meetings of writers and publishers, book promotions, discussions and Chinese language lessons.
"We are happy to read Chinese books in Serbia. Our Chinese is not so good, and we cannot understand the books, but we are reading the translated version of Chinese books," a Serbian student said.
Founded in 1956, the International Belgrade Book Fair has become the largest book fair in southeastern Europe and the third largest on the continent.
