<img src=' alt='First day of the 2026 London Book Fair./CGTN'
It was Ayjan’s first visit to the London Book Fair. When I first noticed her, she was standing quietly in the Chinese books section, studying a collection of Dunhuang-themed books and cultural products. The concentration on her face caught my attention and prompted me to say hello.
Still a master’s student and just starting out in publishing, Ayjan was eager to explore, connect with professionals, and see firsthand how the global book industry operates.
<img src=' alt='Ayjan at the Chinese books section./CGTN'
“How do you incorporate Dunhuang elements into bookmarks like these? They’re beautiful—I’m going to send a photo to my dad,” she said, smiling as she examined one of the displays.
Her curiosity was personal as well as professional. Ayjan explained that her father lives and works in China and focuses his research on cultural heritage. Growing up in Turkmenistan—a country with its own rich historical legacy—she has long been fascinated by the cultural exchanges that once took place along the Silk Road, and its early predecessors, stretching back to the Bronze Age.
<img src=' alt='Chinese books on display at the London Book Fair./CGTN'
“I also read a lot of Chinese wuxia novels and ancient fantasy stories,” she added. “So it’s really exciting for me to learn more about what’s happening in the Chinese publishing industry here at the London Book Fair. I really love how books help bring us one step closer to globalization.”
This year, the Chinese publishing delegation showcased over 4,000 titles and 5,500 copies at the fair, including around 1,300 in foreign languages. The China pavilion, themed “Reading China”, stood out with five dedicated sections, offering a systematic glimpse into the richness and diversity of contemporary Chinese publishing.
<img src=' alt='China Joint Stand at the London Book Fair./CGTN'
Just minutes before we met, a nearby stage had hosted the launch of two books: the Routledge Handbook on the Belt and Road (Third Edition) and The Eco-Civilization Path of China. The handbook, the world’s first encyclopedic reader focused on the Belt and Road Initiative, seemed exactly the kind of publication Ayjan had been hoping to encounter.
<img src=' alt='Book launch event of China Social Sciences Press Co-published English edition books./CGTN'
Ji Weimin, President of China Social Sciences Press, described the handbook as “a constructive tool for promoting understanding of the Belt and Road Initiative and a window for the international community to explore it.” With contributions from over 100 scholars, including renowned British economist and China expert Peter Nolan, the project itself embodies the initiative’s spirit of openness and collaboration.
Melissa Fulkerson, a co-publisher representative, echoed that view, describing the volume as a resource that offers “valuable insights into the broader implications of the Belt and Road Initiative across regions and academic disciplines.”
<img src=' alt='Signing ceremony of Nehe Memories at the London Book Fair./CGTN'
Moments like these—readers, scholars, and publishers from different parts of the world exchanging ideas—are what the London Book Fair is all about. On the exhibition floor, ideas travel much like they once did along the ancient Silk Road: not by caravans, but through books, stories, and the quiet curiosity of readers like Ayjan, continuing a centuries-old tradition of cultural exchange that builds understanding across civilizations.