Characteristics reflected

"Literary works often reflect the characteristics of an area and a nation. Through the characters portrayed in literary works and the way they communicate, readers can see the real lives of Chinese individuals," he says.

Alsaid says he likes to pick books for his Arabic-speaking readers that fit into categories that are enjoying increased demand, such as works on traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts.

He also points to demand for books on China's current situation, including how the country tackled the COVID-19 pandemic and won a complete victory in eradicating absolute poverty.

Closer to home, Qin Chao, chairman of the Guangxi Publishing and Media Group in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, says that the group has taken advantage of Guangxi's proximity to Southeast Asia, and has enjoyed success with copyright arrangements for the sale of titles in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia.

"When cooperating with foreign publishers, we need to fully understand the target country's taboos in advance and avoid recommending books that do not conform to their religious beliefs," Qin says.

"The laws and regulations involved in copyright agreements should be based on international copyright laws and regulations, and we should pay attention to avoiding legal blind spots and potential risks following the laws and regulations of the target country."

As for the reading habits of consumers worldwide, new trends are making the publishing market more competitive than ever before, he says.

He highlights the shift from printed books to e-books, and, more recently, to audiobooks. The transition reflects a major change in reading habits in the internet era.

Amid the technology-driven changes, publishers need to carry out more research into the market demands of destination countries and then promote the export of more high-quality books accordingly, Qin says.