Senior CPC official attends opening ceremony at London Book Fair

LONDON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- A senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official attended an opening ceremony here Sunday to promote China as the Market Focus country of honor at this year's London Book Fair.

"The London Book Fair is one of the most important of its kind in the world. Being the country of honor at the London Book Fair, China believes that it will open an important window for foreign people to take a closer look at Chinese culture and provide a prime opportunity for Chinese publishers to learn from international peers," said Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee's Political Bureau, at the ceremony.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level between the two countries and will see London host the Summer Olympics, bringing new opportunities for China and Britain to further their ties, said Li, who was accompanied by Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong at the ceremony.

The London Book Fair was started in 1971, and was regarded as the world's second largest marketplace for copyrights trading only after the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany.

To be held from Monday to Wednesday, the London Book Fair is expected to attract about 25,000 professionals this year.

The Market Focus program was launched in 2004, under which the London Book Fair chooses a single country or region as the country of honor, with an aim to promote trade ties with the chosen country and building long-term business partnerships between the country and the international publishing industry.