China for the first time has publicly allowed private book distributors to show up at a national book fair, signaling a loosening of its long tight control over publishing and distribution sectors.

Some 60 private books shops from all over the country have registered to attend the 2004 Shanghai Book Fair, a major gathering of Chinese publishing enterprises which is slated from July 28 to Aug. 2 in Shanghai.

Private companies are not allowed to touch the publishing industry, and only recently were approved to be able to wade in distribution business. Sun Yong, director of the Shanghai publishing bureau, said it may get on the nerves of the publishing industry to let private companies move out of the "underground state."

In fact some active private operators embarked on restricted publishing and distribution sectors far earlier, through collaboration with state-run publishing houses which have qualifications but lack flexibility on the market.

Private book shops and distribution companies, formerly addressed as the "second channel," had successful experience in "planning" a number of best sellers by more precisely targeting readers' interests and tastes.

They also appeared in book fairs before, not publicly as in this time, but in the name of some state operators whom they paid for exchange of attendance as the latter's "branches."

Source: Xinhua