The 11th Beijing International Book Fair, one of most important international book fairs in China, opened Thursday.

Due to its development and well organizational work, the current Beijing International Book Fair attracted publishers from 42 countries and regions, said Shi Zongyuan, administrator of China's General Administration of Press and Publication in his open speech for the fair.

The fair, with an exhibition area of 26,800 square meters and984 stands, is sponsored by seven Chinese departments including the Administration of Press and Publication. The five-day fair will display more than 10,000 titles of books and nearly 1,000 titles of audio-visual products from all over the world.

This year's fair has made efforts to attract more public participation, including a spot purchasing sector for the first time.

(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2004)