Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s participation as the Guest Country of Honour at the 2025 Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) is expected to create greater opportunities for collaboration with various international parties. Malaysia’s Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh emphasized the consistent increase in Malaysian industry players at the book fair over the past decade.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Wong expressed hopes to forge more partnerships globally at this year’s event, as reported by People’s Daily Online. Leading the Malaysian delegation, Wong announced a partnership between the Malaysian Institute of Translation and Books (ITBM) and China-based Global Tone Communication Technology (GTCOM) to develop a national-level AI-powered translation engine.
Wong highlighted that the collaboration between ITBM, an agency under the Education Ministry (MOE), and GTCOM is expected to advance AI development while preserving Malaysia’s cultural and linguistic heritage, positively impacting the country’s translation and intellectual communities. This initiative aims to facilitate multilingual communication and support inclusive education policies, as well as develop a highly skilled talent base in language and translation fields.
The MOE will continue to support this initiative, aligning with the government’s goal to enhance Malaysia’s global competitiveness. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Ambassador to China, Datuk Norman Muhamad, in his keynote address at the launch of the Malaysia Pavilion at BIBF, stated that the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will collaborate with the National Book Council of Malaysia, Perbadanan Kota Buku, and industry players to explore new opportunities, particularly in digital publishing.
He noted that this includes leveraging e-commerce, education, and traditional retail platforms in China, and emphasized the Malaysian Embassy’s commitment, through its Education Office in Beijing, to support efforts in expanding Malaysia’s publishing presence in the Chinese market.
Publishers Association of China head Wu Shulin remarked that Malaysia’s participation as the guest country of honour, along with activities such as copyright negotiations, forums, and cultural exhibitions, reflects joint efforts to build the China-Malaysia Community with a Shared Future with its distinct cultural elements. Wu expressed confidence that Malaysia’s participation will mark another milestone in the history of cultural and publishing exchanges between the countries, opening new avenues for cooperation and strengthening bilateral friendship.
Themed ‘Read, Lead’, the 31st BIBF is taking place at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing from June 18 to 22, featuring over 1,700 exhibitors from 80 countries and regions, showcasing approximately 220,000 high-quality books from both China and around the world.