China through British Eyes
Launch of new books and donation of books

       In the morning of March 12, on the first day of the London Book Fair 2019, the China International Publishing Group (CIPG) held a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China and the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the UK at the level of chargés d'affaires. The theme was “China through British eyes”. Mr Ma Hui, Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, Mr Liu Dawei, Vice-President of China International Publishing Group (CIPG), Mr YU Peng, Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, Ms XUE Ling, Director of the London Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Lord David Wilson and Lady Natasha Wilson, Lord Michael Bates and Lady Xuelin Li Bates, and Professor Martin Albrow, Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences, attended the event.

      The new book launch and donation of books event was hosted by the CIPG, supported by the Cultural Office of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, the London office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, organised by New World Press and the Global China Academy and its Global Century Press. The event was chaired by Ms. Huang Wei, Director of the Editor-in-chief’s office of the CIPG. 

Mr MA Hui, Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the UK and Mr Liu Dawei, Deputy Director of the CIPG, delivered speeches.

      Minister Ma Hui said that this year is the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China and the 65th anniversary of the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the UK at the level of chargés d'affaires. At such an important moment, the meaning of using this opportunity at the 2019 London International Book Fair with the theme of “China in the eyes of the British" is profound. Vice-President Liu Dawei said that this “Sino-British interactive” themed book exhibition was showcasing more than 100 books published by the Chinese Foreign Languages Bureau over the past 70 years, which are read by people in China and the UK in the interests of mutual understanding. These books are the historical witnesses and cultural symbols of the humanistic exchanges between the two countries. They also reflect the profound friendship of “similarity and connection between people's hearts” between the Chinese and British people.

      Subsequently, Mr. TONG Meng, Director of the Copyright Department of New World Press, and Professor Chang Xiangqun, Editor-in-chief of Global Century Press, introduced the two publishers and their collaboration in publishing in the past five years. Mr Tong Meng said that the cooperation between New World Press and Global Century Press began in 2014. In the blink of an eye, five years have passed. The scene at which the first signing for strategic collaboration took place is still vivid in his mind. The collaboration has been full of challenges and difficulties. Owing to the different environments we are in, we have had different views on many issues during the period. However, when we see the books successfully co-published, coming into the public domain and receiving high praise, both parties think that all our efforts have been worthwhile. He said he believes that future cooperation between us will be better and better! Professor Xiangqun Chang said that, although Global Century Press was only founded five years ago, as a specialist publisher, it has developed a number of unique characteristics. It is the first publisher in the world to focus on bilingual publications of studies of China in comparative perspective, Chinese perspectives of the world or human knowledge, and non-Chinese perspectives of China in a global context. GCP is particularly focused on comparing and contrasting the Chinese and the non-Chinese. For example, we published an updated edition of a book on pingju by John Chinnery as Pingju: Real Life Opera and a ‘Rural Chinese Shakespeare¸ inviting attention to the comparison between the Chinese and the Western ‘Shakespeares’. Similarly, there are some similarities between Lord Bates and Fei Xiaotong, the pioneering Chinese sociologist and anthropologist. Fei’s work had a great influence on China’s social economic development, and Bates’s book provides some useful thoughts and information for understanding China from a comparative perspective. We hope that our publications promote a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of China and Chinese people in the global context, and at the same time provoke thought, study and action, adding to the sum of human knowledge and promoting a more harmonious and peaceful human community.  

  Lord Bates, Professor Martin Albrow and Dr France Wood gave excellent speeches on the theme “China through British Eyes” from the perspectives of Chinese society, politics, thought and culture, based on the books they had written or to which they had contributed a foreword. Lord Bates asked what the anecdotes in his books tell us about modern China: two things, he said, which may seem paradoxical. On the surface life, continues unchanged outside the metropolis and yet, at the same time, underneath it is changing all the time (e.g. steel works are closing, villages are getting clean water and people are receiving pensions) because of decisions taken in the metropolis. On the surface, other countries and cultures are seeking to become more fiercely independent and yet underneath we are becoming more and more interconnected and interdependent. The more time we spend talking to real people about their lives, the less of a problem diversity and difference become. Professor Martin Albrow said that China now, with its Belt and Road Initiative, is for the first time in its history taking its unique national experience into a wider world far beyond its traditional boundaries. This venture is complementary to, and draws upon some of the features of economic globalization and its institutional structures. But its main difference from the Western-inspired models of governance is that it looks to shared goals rather than the imposition of rules. In other words, although the success of China’s opening-up depends on the adaptation and assimilation of both Marxism and Western economic and social science into its own cultural traditions, it does not approach other cultures from a standpoint of superior virtue or knowledge, but in the spirit of finding common goals and shared projects. Dr Frances Wood said that John Chinnery was interested in pingju, the modern transformation of a popular cultural form of opera. One of his most lovable characteristics was his sense of humour and he enjoyed the combination of scandal and local themes in pingju – with stories sometimes reflecting items in the popular press. His book introduces an original and modern genre which reflects local concerns, developing a traditional format for the 20th century. It also reflects John Chinnery’s compassion for suffering artistes and his enjoyment of humorous themes and dialogue by the pingju writer Cheng Zhaocai, the “Chinese village Shakespeare”.

       Launching Walk Your Dream (English edition) and Pingju: Real Life Opera of Northern China (English edition) published by New World Press, as well as Walk for Peace: Transcultural Experiences in China (enlarged English edition) and Pingju: Real Life Opera and a ‘Rural Chinese Shakespeare’ (updated English edition), published jointly by New World Press and Global Century Press.

      Then the CIPG held a book donation ceremony, Lord and Lady Bates, Dr Wood presented the above four books to Cambridge University and the University of Westminster, received by Charles Aylmer, Head Librarian at the University and Professor Hugo de Burgh, Director of the China Media Centre respectively.

        Mr Liu Dawei, Vice-President of CIPG, presenting the new books published by New World Press and Global Century Press to Lord and Lady Wilson. Finally, he presenting multilingual China-themed books to Mr YU Peng, Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the UK.

      Some guests at the book donation ceremony.

      The "Sino-British interactive themed book" exhibition was the first themed book exhibition, representing many views and mutual appreciation among people from all walks of life in China and the West, at the London International Book Fair since its inception. The event attracted several prominent figures from political, academic, cultural and publishing circles of China and the UK, promoting exchanges and understanding between the Chinese and the British. It was a highlight of the London Book Fair.

(Thanks to the participants for providing and giving permission to use their photos.)

Clich HERE to the Chinese page

Click HERE to the event page

英国人眼里的中国
——新书发布和赠书仪式

        当地时间3月12日上午，伦敦书展开幕当天，中国外文局（中国国际出版集团）在展台举办“庆祝新中国成立70周年暨中英建立代办级外交关系65周年——英国人眼中的中国”主题活动。中国驻英大使馆公使马辉、中国外文局副局长刘大为、中国驻英大使馆公使衔参赞于芃、文化和旅游部驻伦敦办事处主任薛伶、英国上议院议员卫奕信勋爵及夫人黎丹霞、英国上议院议员麦克•贝茨勋爵及夫人李雪琳、英国社科院院士马丁·阿尔布劳等出席活动。

        此次活动紧扣“庆祝新中国成立70周年”主题，推出“中国外文局70年中英互看主题图书”精品书展及新书首发揭幕仪式。活动由中国外文局主办，中国驻英大使馆文化处、中国文化和旅游部驻伦敦办事处协办，中国外文局旗下新世界出版社与英国全球中国学术院及其旗下的环球世纪出版社承办。活动由中国外文局总编室主任黄卫女士主持。

         中国驻英大使馆公使马辉和中国外文局副局长刘大为在活动开幕式上致辞。

      马辉表示，今年，是新中国成立70周年，也是中英双方正式建立代办级外交关系65周年。在这样一个重要的时间节点，利用2019年伦敦国际书展这个契机，与中国外文局共同举办“庆祝新中国成立70周年暨中英建立代办级外交关系65周年——英国人眼中的中国”主题活动，意义非凡。刘大为介绍说，本次“中英互看”精品书展展示了中国外文局70年来出版的、中英两国人士在相互了解的基础上互通互看的图书，共有100多个品种。这些图书是两国人文交流的历史见证和文化象征，也体现了中英两国人民“民心相近、民心相通”的深厚情谊，能够为新中国成立70周年、中国外文局成立70周年增添更加浓厚的人文色彩，具有重要而特别的意义。

        随后，新世界出版社版权部主任佟盟先生和环球世纪出版社总编常向群教授分别代表两社介绍了两社及其五年来合作出版的情况。佟盟说，我社与环球世纪出版社的合作始于2014年，转眼五年，时光飞逝，回想当年签订战略合作的场景仍历历在目。合作中充满了艰辛和不易，因为所处环境不同，期间会为很多问题抱有不同看法，但当看到合作出版的图书顺利出版，进入英国主流渠道，并饱受好评时，双方都觉得所有的付出都是值得的。我相信双方未来的合作将越来越好！常向群说，环球世纪出版社发言虽然仅在5年前成立，但作为专业出版商，它已经形成了许多独特的特征。它是世界上第一个致力于出版英汉双语的社会科学与人文科学著作的出版公司。我们特别注重把中国人和非中国人加以比较和对比。如今天在发布的《评剧》一书原版英文书名翻成中文是《评剧：中国北方真实生活的歌剧》，现在的更新版译程中文为《平剧：真实生活的歌剧和“中国乡村的莎士比亚”》，目的是把中国“莎士比亚”和西方的莎士比亚加以比照引起关注甚至进一步的比较研究。同样地，我们发现费孝通教授与贝茨勋爵之间有许多相似之处。作为中国社会学家和人类学家的先驱，费孝通先生曾任全国人大常委会副委员长，中国人民政治协商会议副主席；贝茨勋爵曾任英国上议院副主席，英国政府国际发展部国务大臣。在2017年伦敦书展上发布贝茨勋爵的《为和平徒步——中国之旅的转文化体验》发布会上，环球世纪出版社与新世界出版社签署了一项出版协议，共同出版由费孝通先生撰写的三本社会科学通俗读物。贝茨的《为和平徒步》与费孝通的这几本书具有相似的特征。费孝通的作品对中国的社会经济的发展产生了很大的影响，贝茨的此书提供了用比较视野来理解中国的一些有用的思想和信息。此外，费孝通终身践行着致力于‘志在富民’的理念，贝茨为慈善事业矢志不渝地徒步了20几个国家。总之，我们希望我们的出版物能够在全球范围内促进人们对中国和中国人民的更深入和更全面的了解，同时激发思想、研究与行动，为人类的知识殿堂添加来自中国研究的成果，促进一个更加和谐与和平的人类共同体。

        贝茨勋爵、马丁•阿尔布劳教授和吴芳思博士做了“英国人看中国”的主题演讲。他们分别从他们所著及所序图书对中国社会、政治、思想和文化发表了精彩演讲。贝茨勋爵（Lord Bates）说, 去年九月从北京到唐山曹妃甸的徒步中所见的轶事告诉我们关于现代中国看起来似乎是矛盾的两件事。从表面上看，大都市之外的乡村生活没太大的变化，但是，在中国的徒步过程中，我们所见所闻了一些深刻和重大的变化，如坐落在乡村的钢铁厂关闭了，村里有了清洁的用水，村民有了养老金。这种悖论可以拓展到全球，从表面上看，世界上的国家和文化的独立诉求愈演愈烈，但在深层次上，人们正变得越来越相互关联和相互依存。马丁•阿尔布劳教授（Professor Martin Albrow）说，中国现在凭借其“一带一路”倡议，有史以来第一次将其独特的国家经验带入一个远远超出其传统界限的更广阔的世界。与西方的治理模式的主要区别在于，该尝试不是强化规则，而是通过对经济全球化及其体制结构的一些特征的补充和借鉴以追寻建构人类命运共同体的目标。吴芳思博士（Dr Frances Wood）说，此书引入了一种嫁接原始和现代的创作类型，反映了当地的关注，发展出了20世纪的传统范型。还反映了汉学家秦乃瑞（John Chinnery）对受苦艺术家（如新凤霞等）的同情以及他对“中国乡村的莎士比亚”评剧剧作家（成兆才）的幽默的主题和对话的欣赏。

        开幕式上，举办了由新世界出版社出版的《徒步中国II：为梦想行走》（英文版）和《中国乡村的“莎士比亚”——汉学家眼中的中国评剧》（英文版）以及由新世界出版社与环球世纪出版社合作出版的《为和平徒步——中国之旅的转文化体验》（英文赠订版）和《中国乡村的“莎士比亚”——汉学家眼中的中国评剧》（英文修订版）的首发揭幕仪式。

        接下来举行了赠书仪式。首先分别由徒步中国II：为梦想行走》（英文版）和《为和平徒步——中国之旅的转文化体验》（英文赠订版）的作者和编译者贝茨勋爵夫妇，以及《中国乡村的“莎士比亚”——汉学家眼中的中国评剧》（英文版）及其英文修订版的序作者吴芳思博士分别向剑桥大学图书馆中文部主任艾超世先生和威斯敏斯特大学中国传媒中心戴雨果教授赠书。

        然后，中国外文局刘大为局副局长向卫奕信勋爵夫妇赠送了新世界出版社和环球世纪出版社出版的新书。最后，刘副局长向中国驻英大使馆文化处于芃公使衔参赞赠送了多语种的中国主题图书。

       部分与会嘉宾见证了这一隆重的时刻。

       本次“中英互看主题图书”精品书展，是伦敦国际书展自创办以来首次推出以中西方各界人士互看互审为内容的主题图书展示。活动吸引了中、英两国众多政治、学术、文化以及出版界的知名人士到场，促进了中、英各界人士的交流与互鉴，成为伦敦书展的一大亮点。

以上照片是会前会后部分剪影。

 （文字框架基于中国外文局提供的素材，图片由参与者提供）

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