A delegation of sixteen Sri Lankan publishers will join the Beijing book fair, which will open on January 12th, China Radio International said.

This is an unprecedented event in the book fair's 30-year history.

"The visiting Sri Lankan delegation is made up of publishers of children's books and bookstore owners. This is part of a program of assistance sponsored by the Chinese government under the Belt and Road Initiative. The book fair is expected to lead to closer copyright relations between publishers from both countries" Liu Lixia, an official with the organizing committee for the upcoming Beijing Book Fair, said.

"The forum will focus on the latest transformations and progress in China's publishing industry. This will enable them to understand the current opportunities for cooperation with their Chinese counterparts."

During the book fair, a great selections of more than 500-thousand new books, published in 2016 will be on display to the the public. To date, a list of over 180 book-related cultural activities are scheduled from January 12th to the 14th.