Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, visits and researches the 29th Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), in Beijing, capital of China, June 15, 2023. The book fair kicked off on Thursday. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, has visited and researched the 29th Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), which kicked off in Beijing on Thursday.

Focused on exchanges and learning between civilizations, the 29th BIBF has gathered exhibitors from 56 countries and regions for the four-day event. Algeria is this year's Country of Honor.

A total of 2,500 exhibitors are showcasing more than 200,000 Chinese and foreign titles at this year's book fair, which is being held both online and offline.

The fair is comprised of a domestic section, an overseas section, a section for online publications, and a section for the Beijing International Book Festival, covering a total area of 51,900 square meters.

Including Germany and Greece, 14 countries have set up national booths. More than 50 international publishers, such as Elsevier and Wiley, are taking part in the book fair offline. NetEase and Tencent are displaying online literature, online games and other emerging types of publications.

More than 1,000 industrial exchanges will be held during the fair.