CICG showcases Chinese publications at Malaysian book expo

The 20th BookFest @ Malaysia opened its doors from March 18 to 26 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) in Malaysia. During the event, China International Communications Group (CICG), via its subsidiary the China International Book Trading Corporation, exhibited around 100,000 Chinese books spanning 30,000 titles, making its booth one of the most-visited.

Visitors browse books at BookFest @ Malaysia 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, March 20, 2026. [Photo/CICG]

CICG presented a range of high-quality China-themed publications, including works by Chinese national leaders, selected works on traditional Chinese culture, literature, and art, as well as children's books, presenting the rich achievements of China's publishing industry and promoting China's new development philosophies.

BookFest @ Malaysia was first staged in 2006 by Popular Holdings, a Singapore-based multinational involved in publishing, retail, and education, with the goal of showcasing and promoting Chinese language books.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of BookFest @ Malaysia, Xie Gang, vice president of CICG, sent a congratulatory letter to Popular expressing hopes for a new chapter of cooperation in the future. He also presented a gift to Popular to commemorate the anniversary and the friendship built over decades of joint efforts in cultural dissemination.

The booth of China International Communications Group (CICG) at BookFest @ Malaysia 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, March 18, 2026. [Photo/CICG]

During the event period, the CICG delegation met with representatives from multiple bookstores under Popular Holdings to better understand the demand, sales models, and reader preferences in the local market. The delegation also held talks with several local counterpart institutions during their stay in Malaysia.

Prior to attending BookFest @ Malaysia, the delegation from CICG visited Singapore and held talks with the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, peer institutions including the National Library Singapore and Nanyang Technological University Library, as well as the bookstores Union Book and Maha Yu Yi.