Kenya drew attraction once again during the 29th Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), which concluded Sunday in Beijing.
The exhibition, which is one of Asia’s greatest international book fairs, saw the unveiling of a new book titled “The Flora of Kenya”, the first English-language edition book jointly compiled by scientists from Kenya and China.
The book provides a glimpse into the unique and fascinating plants native to Kenya, thanks to the country’s diverse landscape.
The Kenya Embassy in Beijing described the latest publication as a further “consolidation of Kenya-China cooperation and yet another concrete result of long-term cooperation efforts between friends and partners,” especially seen through the ongoing cooperation mechanism under the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
“The Flora of Kenya is a remarkable publication for present and future generations that will contribute to the future conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity in Kenya in line with the Government’s commitments to environmental protection,” the embassy said after the launch
The new book on Kenya’s flora was among the more than 200,000 books put on display at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, in an event that hosted exhibitors both on-site and online.
A total of 2,500 exhibitors from around the world graced the 2023 fair, spotlighting China’s position in the global publishing industry.
It was also announced during the exhibition that 2,900 Chinese works have been translated into foreign languages such as French, English, Korean, Russian, Nepali, Arabic, Hebrew, Polish, and Thai, among others, to cater to global readers.
At the same time, China Social Sciences Press launched a multilingual book series of studies on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
The vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Zhen Zhanmin said the new era thought is the essence of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit in the contemporary era, a new leap forward in the Chinese localization of Marxism, and a powerful guidance for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
According to organizers, mutual learning and collaboration between Chinese and international publishers is the main focus of the fair.
