The First China-ASEAN Conference on Knowledge Service Innovation and International Exchange Development Was Successfully Concluded

The first China-ASEAN Conference on Knowledge Service Innovation and International Exchange Development， alongside the fifth China Publishing Industry Knowledge Service Conference， took place in Guilin， Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The conference was co-hosted by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication and Guangxi Normal University Press Group， with support from the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association （CADPA） and Midu Technology Co.， Ltd. Zhao Haiyun， deputy director of the Import and Export Management Bureau of the Publicity Department of the CPC， Wang Xiaohua， deputy director of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Publicity Department and director of the Publishing and Copyright Bureau， and Wei Yushan， director of the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication， delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. More than 200 guests from Chinese publishing units， as well as publishing professionals， scholars， and cultural exchange envoys from ASEAN countries such as Thailand， Malaysia， and Indonesia， attended the event.

The conference consisted of an opening ceremony and main forum on September 26， followed by a series of specialized forums on September 27. With the theme “Digital Innovation and International Service in the Publishing Industry in the AI Era”， the event focused on the current state and future development paths of digital innovation and knowledge services in the publishing industry between China and ASEAN countries. It also explored key topics such as the development and exchange of the China-ASEAN digital content industry， digital content export， copyright trade， and cutting-edge discussions on artificial intelligence.

During the opening ceremony， Wang Xiaohua summarized the achievements made by Guangxi’s publishing sector in promoting the deep integration of culture and technology， the innovation of knowledge services， and the exchange of knowledge services. He also offered three key suggestions for deepening cooperation in digital publishing： First， work together to promote the deep integration of culture and technology within the publishing field. Second， inherit and innovate to jointly create knowledge service brands and products with international influence. Third， deepen cooperation to foster regional civilization exchanges and mutual learning.

In his speech， Wei Yushan emphasized the important role that the publishing industry plays as a medium of cultural exchange in the construction of international communication systems. As global cultural exchanges deepen， international cooperation in knowledge services within the publishing industry will become more frequent. He called on industry professionals to advance global development in publishing knowledge services with an open and innovative spirit， contributing to the dissemination of Chinese culture and the global spread of knowledge.

During the keynote speeches at the main forum that followed， several experts and scholars from publishing-related enterprises and organizations in China and abroad delivered remarkable presentations. Among the speakers were Dong Yimin， deputy secretary of the Party Committee and secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of the Party Committee of the CAPP; Ao Ran， executive vice president and secretary general of the CAPDA; Lin Liying， general manager of China National Publications Import amp; Export （Group） Corporation; Xing Yiteng， president of the Malaysian Chinese Medicine Association and dean of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department at New Era University College; and Huang Xuanzhuang， secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Guangxi Normal University Press Group. The opening ceremony and main forum were hosted by Tang Wenhui， deputy secretary of the Party Committee and editor-in-chief of Guangxi Normal University Press.

In the main forum， Dong Yimin was the first to present his report titled “Research on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Knowledge Services in the Publishing Industry.” The report provided an in-depth analysis of AI technologies， particularly large language models， and their impact on knowledge services within the publishing industry. Through a study of the development of large models both in China and abroad， as well as the exploration and application of these models in publishing， Dong proposed strategies for the industry. These included speeding up the digitization of resources and being cautious of the risks posed by AI-generated content （AIGC）. Dong also emphasized that publishing companies should avoid becoming overly anxious about technological competition in the era of large models and instead use the technology effectively to drive industrial upgrades.

Ao Ran provided a comprehensive analysis of the current state and future trends of China’s digital culture industry. He began by highlighting how national policies offer strong intellectual and operational support for the cultural industry. He then detailed the development of various sectors， including online literature， online games， digital music， and online animation. Finally， Ao offered several recommendations， such as focusing on building a skilled workforce， strengthening China’s overseas cultural dissemination system， and promoting traditional Chinese culture.

As a representative of one of the event’s hosts， Huang Xuanzhuang delivered a keynote speech titled “From ‘Going Out’ to ‘Going In’： Exploring Guangxi Normal University Press’s Cultural International Communication.” He shared the press’s strategies and experiences in promoting Chinese culture internationally and its practical efforts toward the internationalization of digital publishing.

Huang explained that， as a local university press located in Southwest China， Guangxi Normal University Press has long adopted a strategy of cross-regional resource integration， focusing on sustainable development and innovation. Since 2000， the press has transitioned from domestic development to international expansion， building a strategic framework for international communication with a global perspective. Over the years， Guangxi Normal University Press has followed a market-driven approach to platform building， steadily advancing its transformation from “going out” to “going in.” This transformation is supported by three key pillars： constructing a collaborative manuscript submission and publishing model between domestic and international markets， establishing distinctive communication channels， and actively promoting the development of physical bookstores abroad. In addition， Huang emphasized the integration of new technologies and resources， particularly in digitizing ancient texts and developing digital educational resources aimed at ASEAN countries. By aligning the rapid development of the internet and artificial intelligence with the opportunities and challenges in cultural construction， Guangxi Normal University Press has created a new framework for the digital era， helping to push Chinese publishing from “going out” to “going in” on the global stage.

Following this， to further strengthen cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and ASEAN countries， and to deepen mutual understanding and recognition， Guangxi Normal University Press， in collaboration with Zhejiang University Press， initiated the formation of the China-ASEAN University Press Alliance. This initiative was witnessed by Zhao Tie， deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Guangxi Normal University; Xing Yiteng， president of the Malaysian Chinese Medicine Association and dean of Traditional Chinese Medicine at New Era University College; Chen Jie， executive deputy editor-in-chief of Zhejiang University Press; and Huang Xuanzhuang， secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of Guangxi Normal University Press. The alliance proposal received strong support from several ASEAN university publishing institutions， including New Era University College in Malaysia， Prince of Songkla University in Thailand， and the State University of Malang in Indonesia. The alliance aims to promote publishing collaboration and cultural exchange between China and ASEAN countries， fostering trust， learning， and mutual benefit， and enhancing connections between the people of these regions.

Following the launch ceremony， a signing ceremony was held for the licensing of Close-up Shots： Warm Moments in eight languages across ten ASEAN countries.

Earlier this year， Xinhua Publishing House released Close-up Shots： Warm Moments， a book featuring 68 photographs capturing touching moments involving President Xi Jinping， alongside stories that vividly depict the context behind each image. The content ranges from President Xi’s local inspections and key events to his efforts in domestic development and global governance. Guangxi Normal University Press， together with Xinhua Publishing House， collaborated with publishing institutions from ASEAN countries to co-publish versions of the book in multiple languages. During the event， Wang Yongxia， editor-in-chief of Xinhua Publishing House， and Huang Xuanzhuang signed agreements with representatives from ASEAN countries， including Wei Yunfa， general manager of Malaysia’s Asia Think Tank Company; Chen Baoshi， Chairman of Thailand’s Red Mountain Publishing Company; Salman， CEO of Bentang Pustaka Publishing in Indonesia; and Muhammad Irwan， director of Indonesia’s Mizan Group.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the China-ASEAN Expo （CAEXPO）. The expo has continually strengthened connectivity， economic cooperation， and cultural exchanges between China and ASEAN， contributing to building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future and promoting high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Guangxi is geographically connected to ASEAN countries by both land and sea. During the expo， the first China-ASEAN Conference on Knowledge Service Innovation and International Exchange Development and the 5th China Publishing Industry Knowledge Service Conference were held in Guilin. This event served as a new opportunity for Chinese publishers and their ASEAN counterparts to enhance exchanges and foster bold explorations of cooperation and mutual success in the AI era. Guangxi Normal University Press remains committed to its core mission and strategy of internationalization. By fully utilizing domestic and international markets and resources， it continues to promote coordinated and innovative development both at home and abroad， advancing the globalization of Chinese publishing to new levels.