The 20th Cross-Strait Book Fair opened on Tuesday in Taipei, the first edition held in Taiwan since the 14th fair in 2018, drawing over 200 publishing houses and copyright agencies from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The main venue in Taipei covers more than 6,000 square meters, consisting of booths of publishing houses from the mainland and Taiwan, and areas dedicated for copyright negotiations and new book release.
According to the organizers, publications on display cover a broad variety, from literature to lifestyle, children's books and historical and academic books, including nearly 20,000 tittles of books from the mainland.
"I enjoy reading books, and sometimes tell stories to children. Picture books are among our favorites," said a local woman.
The mainland's popular history comic series "If History Were a Group of Cats" has hit the best-seller lists in Taiwan, captivating middle and elementary school students with its engaging illustrations of Chinese history.
Currently, secondary education on the island has reduced the study of Chinese history, and many teachers and parents hope to supplement students' historical knowledge through extracurricular reading.
"Almost every school in Taiwan has purchased five to 10 copies or more. Many parents also like this book and would come to buy it, especially because it provides knowledge about Chinese culture and history that is not available in school," said Lo Hung-yu, the person in charge of exhibition at Taiwan-based United Distribution Company.
Publishers on the island believe that the common cultural heritage of China has laid the groundwork for expanded cross-Strait cooperation.
"We hope to continue our collaboration as we have shared a profound foundation of Chinese culture," said Chu Hsiao-hsuan, chairman of Transmission Books and Microinfo Company.
The book fair has seen a transaction of books worth 700 million yuan (about 98 million U.S. dollars) since it was launched in 2005. This year's fair will conclude on Oct 21.
More than 20 cross-Strait copyright trade meetings will be held, in addition to several new book launches and cross-Strait publishing cooperation seminars.
Additional exhibition and exchange venues have been set up in Taichung and Kaohsiung.
20th Cross-Strait Book Fair held in Taipei
The death toll from the Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since the outbreak of the latest round of Hezbollah-Israeli conflict on Oct. 8, 2023 has reached 2,367, while the number of injuries has gone up to 11,088, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
The Israeli military continued its strikes against Hezbollah militants and other targets in Lebanon on Wednesday, while Israeli forces carried out attacks in areas including Nabatieh governorate in southern Lebanon on the same day.
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, the Israeli military's attack on the Nabatieh governorate led to 16 deaths and 52 injuries.
Meanwhile, multiple areas in Lebanon were attacked by the Israeli military on Wednesday. Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on the southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Wednesday.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, the mayor of Nabatieh, the provincial capital of Nabatieh governorate, along with some municipal employees, died in the Israeli airstrike on Wednesday.
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the attack in a statement, saying that the Israeli attack has resulted in civilian casualties.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement on Wednesday, stating that they were conducting "limited, targeted, and specific operations" in southern Lebanon, claiming that they have killed several Hezbollah militants and destroyed two weapons storage facilities.
The Israeli Air Force targeted militants who had fired anti-tank missiles. Additionally, the Israeli military released videos of the strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Also on Wednesday, Hezbollah in Lebanon stated that they had launched rockets towards Israel, targeting Israeli artillery positions, Merkava tanks, and other objectives.
Hezbollah also stated that their fighters engaged in close combat with Israeli forces, causing casualties among the Israeli troops.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants announced on Wednesday that it had filed a new complaint with the U.N. Security Council regarding the Israeli attacks on Lebanon during the period of Oct. 3-14.
This is part of the periodic complaints submitted by the ministry through the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the U.N. headquarters in New York to document the Israeli offensive and pressure the international community and the Security Council to act to stop it.
Lebanese death toll from Israeli attacks climbs to 2,367
