Books offer a glimpse of China in 2014

From porcelain to pickles, English language offerings from publishers in China and the West are set to give readers a broader perspective on the Middle Kingdom. Mei Jia and Sun Ye report.

At a meeting of writers, Sinologists and publishing professionals in Beijing in December, a wry joke circulated. In the past, the experts said to each other, only three types of Chinese books found their way into Western readers' libraries: traditional culture, controversy and anything about beauty and sex.

With its booming economy, China has been attracting increased global interest, and people from all around the world are seeking to understand more about China through its literature.