A participant talks with a staff member at a booth displaying China-themed books at London Book Fair in London, Britain, March 12, 2024. The London Book Fair, one of the world's largest, kicked off on Tuesday with industry insiders calling for greater collaboration between Chinese and international publishers. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

The London Book Fair, one of the world's largest, kicked off on Tuesday with industry insiders calling for greater collaboration between Chinese and international publishers.

Speaking to Xinhua after the launch of the "China Perspective" Series, managing director for book publishing at Taylor & Francis Jeremy North said that people need books not only written by Western scholars but also those coming directly from China.

"Our partnerships with our Chinese publishing partners are a wonderful example of how, whatever else is going on in the world, you can work together and do really creative things," North said. "There's a large benefit because good publishing, good scholarship and good information help a lot of people."

This year, around 50 Chinese publishers are showcasing more than 3,200 types of China-themed books at the event. These cover a wide range of areas including politics, culture, academic works, and trending topics such as low-carbon and artificial intelligence (AI). One third of these titles are foreign language editions.

Wang Xubin, president of Zhejiang Ancient Books Publishing House, told Xinhua that collaborations between publishers from different countries are crucial. During the event, the company launched a new book entitled "Masterpieces from Dunhuang in the British Museum's Collection."

Wang said that international publishing cooperation not only facilitates academic research, but also improves cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

Scheduled to run until Thursday, this year's book fair is expected to attract over 30,000 publishing professionals and 1,000 companies from around the globe.