China-Africa Publishing Association to boost exchanges between Chinese, African civilizations

Feng Shixin, secretary of the CPC committee and president of the China Academy of Press and Publication, said China's digital publishing industry has witnessed steady growth in revenue scale, enriched content supply, and continuous innovation and upgrading in knowledge services in recent years, emerging as an important carrier for boosting national digital reading and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. Faced with new opportunities brought by the rapid development of big data and artificial intelligence, the digital publishing industry should adhere to the value of content, uphold the principle of "content-oriented and technology-enabled", and improve the capacity for high-quality content supply and precise communication. It is necessary to deepen digital integration, take scenario innovation as the driving force, strengthen the layout and collaborative governance of data assets, and promote the safe and orderly flow of high-quality data. Efforts should also be made to leverage platforms including the China-Africa Publishing Association to deepen exchanges and cooperation in copyright, talent, technology and services, and advance civilizational mutual learning and people-to-people bonds. The China Academy of Press and Publication will further strengthen relevant research, standard formulation, talent training and international exchanges, consistently host the China International Digital Publishing Expo, and facilitate the high-quality development of the digital publishing industry.

Fang Yunlong, counselor of the Department of African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, extended warm congratulations on the establishment of the China-Africa Publishing Association and acknowledged all sectors committed to promoting China-Africa publishing cooperation and cultural communication. He noted that the establishment of the association is an important measure to implement the consensus of the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit and advance the development of a platform for exchanges on governance between China and Africa. China and Africa form a community with a shared future with weal and woe bound together. From the ancient Silk Road to the Belt and Road Initiative, publications have always served as a bridge of friendship and wisdom between the Chinese and African peoples. The current digital and intelligent revolution has brought broad opportunities for publishing cooperation between the two sides. He stated that the Department of African Affairs will continue to support China-Africa cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation and back the work of the alliance. He also expressed hope that the alliance will take root in civilizational mutual learning to become a loyal promoter of ideological exchanges, drive industrial upgrading through digital and intelligent innovation to serve as an active explorer of industrial transformation, and focus on grassroots people to act as a firm practitioner of people-to-people connectivity.