At a book exhibition launch ceremony held in Geneva on Monday, vice-president of the Swiss Journalist Club Catherine Fiankan-Bokonga says President Xi Jinping's book The Governance of China could help her understand China. (Photo by Fu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn)
Over 6.2 million copies of President Xi Jinping's book The Governance of China have been distributed worldwide since its release two years ago, Minister of the State Council Information Office Jiang Jianguo said on Monday.
"The book has steadily attracted worldwide attention and more than 6.2 million copies have already been distributed in different languages," Jiang revealed when he addressed a launch ceremony on a global China-themed book exhibition in Geneva.
Jiang said the book's distribution volume has already set a record, surpassing all other Chinese leaders' works since the reform and opening up from the late 1970s.
The book exhibition, which will last one month, was launched the day before China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially announced Xi's upcoming visit to Switzerland from Jan 15-18.
"President Xi will be discussing with his Swiss counterpart on how to upgrade relations to a new level and the visit will be of landmark importance to the region and the world," said Jiang.
In addition to beefing up trade relations, China and Switzerland will announce new measures in boosting cultural exchanges, tourism and financial cooperation during the visit.
After the state visit, Xi will be delivering the keynote speech at the annual World Economic Forum on Jan 17 in Davos. He is scheduled to visit the Lausanne-based International Olympic Committee and the headquarters of the World Health Organization in Geneva, as well as speak at the high-level conference at the United Nations Office in Geneva before wrapping up his first overseas tour in 2017.
The book exhibition was organized to get people ready for the visit and boost cultural exchanges between the two countries, said Jiang.
Xi's highly-acclaimed book was welcomed by Swiss scholars and journalists who attended the launch ceremony. Catherine Fiankan-Bokonga, vice-president of the Swiss Journalist Club, said she was quite interested in the book, which has been translated into languages she can speak.
"It is very interesting that this book has been translated into French, Italian and German, which our Swiss people speak," said Fiankan-Bokonga. "I think this book could help us understand why China could sustain stable growth for years and how it obtained its global influence."
The book Xi Jinping: The Governance of China contains 79 speeches, talks, interviews, notes and letters by the Chinese leader from November 2012 to June 2014.
The book was published in Chinese, English, French, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Japanese in September 2014, and now it has been distributed in more than 100 countries and regions with newer versions.
