ABU DHABI, 25th May, 2023 (WAM) — China is participating in the 32nd edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which kicked off on Monday at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Dr. Ahmed Al Saeed, Executive Director of the Beit Al Hikma Cultural Centre in China, said, “China's presence this year is the largest in the history of its participation at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, following its honorary guest participation in 2017.”
He added that China's participation in the fair underscores the importance of its historic and distinctive cultural relations with the UAE, which is proven by the presence of a large delegation consisting of 40 representatives, including officials, publishers, intellectuals and writers from various Chinese regions.
Additionally, eight programmes will feature cultural and professional events, along with the participation of over 50 Chinese publishing houses offering a diverse range of academic, educational and literary publications, the largest Chinese participation in any international fair, he further added.
Dr. Al Saeed highlighted the diversity of China’s participation in the fair, which includes seminars on copyright exchange, China's experience in self-publishing and its future, the Arab-Chinese Publishing Rights Forum, and the “Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilisations: Arab-Chinese Cooperation in Publishing: Perspectives and Opportunities,” in the presence of Chinese speakers.
Furthermore, over 700 books translated from Chinese to Arabic and 300 books for teaching the Chinese language are being showcased, catering to the abundance of Chinese language schools in the UAE.
The Chinese pavilion has attracted significant attention, especially from Emirati students and the general public, as it offers an opportunity to explore Chinese culture. Its participation is notable as it is the largest Chinese presence in the Arab and Middle Eastern region, given the UAE's status as a key cultural hub in the Middle East.
Dr. Al Saeed further said that a seminar held today, titled “Chinese Literature Through Arab Eyes,” focussed on the renowned Chinese novel, “Al Mursal,” published by Beit Al Hikma and written by Chinese author Liu Liangcheng, Head of the Xinjiang Writers Association, which was translated into Arabic by Dr. Yahya Mukhtar and offered a unique and adventurous journey into the world of Chinese fantasy and mythology.
Moreover, the fair will witness the launch of a series of translated Chinese publications in Arabic, including ten publications introduced in Arabic for the first time, in the presence of participating translators and publishers.
Additionally, various events, meetings and discussions will take place between the Chinese delegation, Chinese publishers and officials from the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre to discuss the centre’s participation in the Beijing International Book Fair and explore avenues of cooperation between the two exhibitions.
The Chinese delegation will also visit several cultural and heritage landmarks in Abu Dhabi.