The Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), scheduled for 18–22 June 2025, will introduce a new academic and digital publishing hub alongside the launch of the inaugural STM APAC Conference, signaling a major expansion in its focus on scholarly communication. This initiative, supported by over 200 global libraries and research institutions, will coincide with BIBF’s 31st edition, hosted for the third year at the China National Convention Center.
Organized by the China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Co., Ltd., BIBF remains the world’s second-largest book fair and anticipates record international participation in 2025, with more than 1,700 exhibitors expected. Representation will grow to include publishers and agencies from 80 countries, up from 71 in 2024. First-time exhibitors will include delegations from Bangladesh, Chile, Croatia, Belarus, Oman, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Jamaica, joining returning national stands from regions including the UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Greece, and the UAE.
The expansion in academic programming is being led through two pre-fair conferences. On 16 June, the third PubTech Conference, themed “Publishing’s Future Empowered by Technology,” will focus on technology-driven transformations in publishing, including developments in copyright, content integrity, and corpus construction. On 17 June, the STM Association will partner with BIBF to launch its first STM APAC Conference under the theme “Open Driven by Innovation.” With keynote speakers including STM CEO Caroline Sutton and Chinese Academy of Sciences academician Yang Wei, the conference will explore pathways for advancing open science and research publishing across the Asia-Pacific region.
A key new feature of BIBF 2025 is the Academic Digital Publishing Hub, which will serve as a space for dialogue on digital content delivery, technological infrastructure, and institutional resource development. The expansion reflects major shifts in academic publishing: Chinese university libraries now allocate over 65% of their literature budgets to electronic resources (Chinese University Library Information Science Journal, 2025), and global academic publishers such as Wiley, Pearson, and Oxford University Press now derive over 70% of their revenue from digital channels. The new hub aims to support greater cooperation between research libraries and academic publishers.
The broader publishing landscape in China remains optimistic. According to OpenBook, China’s retail book market grew by 10.77% year-on-year in Q1 2025, led by subjects such as education, well-being, and AI technology, particularly with strong interest in titles on DeepSeek. Digital and video-based platforms, including Douyin and Rednote, continue to drive sales. In 2024, China saw the release of 1.92 million new book titles—the highest in nearly a decade—with total market valuation reaching 112.9 billion yuan (approx. US$15.5 billion). The number of active ISBN titles rose to 2.41 million, reflecting a 1.68% increase.
International literature also continues to gain traction in China. In 2024, French author Christian Jolibois and UK author Erin Hunter were both listed among the top ten bestselling children’s authors. Domestically, cross-media adaptations are proving influential: CITIC Publishing’s Ne Zha title, released after the animated film Ne Zha: The Past of the Three Realms, topped OpenBook’s February 2025 fiction bestseller list.
Additional programming at BIBF 2025 includes the BIBF Art Book Fair, themed “The Art of Seeing: Visions across Books,” with a David Hockney-focused exhibit presented in collaboration with Thames & Hudson. The BIBF Illustration Exhibition will return with a jury comprising international artists and curators from China, the UK, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the Picture Book Fair—established in 2015—will expand to 1,700 square meters, presenting content in 14 languages and showcasing leading franchises alongside original picture books.
Malaysia has been named the Country of Honour at BIBF 2025 and will be represented by a 50-member delegation led by senior Ministry of Education officials and supported by key agencies, university presses, and private publishers. Participants will include Sunway University Press, Buku FIXI, Pelangi Publishing Group, PTS Media Group, and the Malaysian Book Publishers Association (MABOPA), among others.
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