The third online version of the Encyclopedia of China is set to be released in 2018. Entries in the new version will serve the national knowledge system and will be accessible to users for free, according to Liu Guohui, executive deputy editor-in-chief of the encyclopedia program.

Liu noted that online encyclopedias have become an inevitable trend, ever since Wikipedia was established in 2001 and Encyclopaedia Britannica stopped producing its paper edition in 2012.

The third version of the Encyclopedia of China has an advantage over other encyclopedias in China in terms of both accuracy and authority, as more than 20,000 scholars participated in its compilation. It is projected to include 300,000 entries, twice as many as in the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Liu disclosed that the third version of the encyclopedia will follow the latest trends in both content and form, and will properly reflect the latest research achievements. Being part of a global village, China must present its culture and knowledge to the world, Liu said.

The new version will be available on a trial basis by the end of 2018.