This is the first book about the publising industry in China ever written for a western audience. It is also the first book to examine in detail the contemporary state of the Chinese publishing industry. The author gives a comprehensive and objective commentary on trends in the Chinese publishing industry in the WTO era; on the process of integrating the publishing industries in the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, and Hong Kong; and on the entry of foreign players into the Chinese publishing market. The author, Xin Guangwei, has worked in the Chinese publishing industry for the past fifteen years, and is a specialist in the field of intellectual property. Since 1991, he has been working for the General Administration of Press and Publication of the P.R China (GAPP). Seventy years ago, Pearl S Buck introduced the western world to Chinese culture through Lin Yutang"s My Country and My People. Today, Thomson Learning hopes to introduce the western world to the Chinese publishing industry through this book, Publishing in China : An Essential Guide.