The 27th Beijing International Book Fair officially opened on September 28, 2020. This is the first time the Beijing International Book Fair, which kicked off 34 years ago, has moved online. Photo: VCG

Pakistan will be the guest of honor at the 28th Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, fair organizers announced at a press conference on Wednesday. 

"We are delighted to announce that the 28th Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) will be held from 14th to 18th September in the New China International Exhibition Center," said the official announcement on its website.

Combining both online and offline activities at the same time, a total of 105 countries and regions will attend the fair, among which 57 countries have taken part in China's Belt and Road Initiative. 

Over 2,200 publishers from countries such as Nigeria, Denmark and Finland will attend, and nearly 300,000 books from countries will be showcased during the fair.

The fair site will set up a special guest-of-honor booth for Pakistan to showcase hundreds of its books, pictures and paintings for visitors to better understand the country's customs and literature. The booth will also serve as a way to promote the copyright trade between the two countries.

From food tastings to painting exhibitions, a series of cultural exchange events between China and Pakistan have been held in many places, especially Beijing, in 2021 to celebrate the strong diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque said in a speech at the China-Pakistan Photography Exhibition opening ceremony on Tuesday that he hopes more upcoming activities celebrating the friendship between the two countries will help boost deeper "communication and cooperation in many areas such as the travel industry."