From May 7th to 10th, 2025, Peng Donglin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of FLTRP, led a delegation to Greece to attend the 21st Thessaloniki International Book Fair. During the book fair, FLTRP donated books to Aristotle University, held a new book launch event for “Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture” (Greek Edition), and engaged in in-depth exchanges and discussions with local sinologists, publishers, and bookstore operators, achieving fruitful results.
On May 7th local time, on behalf of the China-CEEC Publishing Association, FLTRP donated over 400 books about China to Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. The donation ceremony was attended by Fang Qiu, Chinese Ambassador to Greece; Fotis Fidans, President of Aristotle University; and Peng Donglin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of FLTRP. During the event, Peng Donglin accompanied Ambassador Fang Qiu on a visit to Aristotle University and participated in discussions with faculty and students at the university’s Confucius Institute.
On May 9th, the event “Dialogue of Civilizations, Sharing of Wisdom: Launch Event of ‘Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture’ (Greek Edition)” was successfully held in Thessaloniki. Attendees included Panagiotis Kappos, Vice President of the Hellenic Book Culture Foundation; Peng Donglin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of FLTRP; Efi Riza, Head of Enastron Publishing House; Christos Kaftantzis, a renowned Greek scholar; Kostas Polymeros, the Greek translator of the book; Wang Shaodi, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at Aristotle University; as well as over 50 experts and media representatives from the cultural, academic, and publishing circles of both China and Greece.
From May 8th to 9th, the delegation from FLTRP participated in the Thessaloniki International Book Fair and conducted in-depth research on more than ten local participating publishers. During this period, Peng Donglin and his team engaged in extensive discussions with Kastaniotis Publications, a renowned Greek educational publisher and a member of the China-CEEC Publishing Association; Kaktos Publications, a publisher of social sciences; Enastron Publications, a partner in the “Key Concepts” project; as well as prominent Greek scholar Christos Kaftantzis. The discussions focused on topics of the publication of Chinese books in Greece, the promotion of Greek social science books in China, and the market promotion of sales of cultural and creative products.
This marks the first time in fifteen years that FLTRP has participated in the Thessaloniki International Book Fair, showcasing over 400 titles from members of the China-CEEC Publishing Association. The exhibits cover books on China-related topics, international Chinese language learning, and Chinese culture and literature, including “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China,” “Understanding Xi Jinping's Educational Philosophy,” “Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture” series, “100 Terms to Understand Chinese Wisdom,” “The Communist Party of China and Contemporary China,” “Contemporary Chinese Economy,” the “Discover China” series of Chinese language textbooks, and the “Stories of Chinese People's Lives” series. Additionally, cultural and creative products themed around “Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture” were showcased, which attracted widespread attention and enthusiastic reception from local readers.
On May 10th, Peng Donglin and his delegation, accompanied by Euthumios Athanasiadis, the former press counselor of the Greek Embassy in China, conducted a survey of local bookstores in Athens to examine the types of books favored by local readers. They also engaged in in-depth discussions and negotiations with bookstore representatives regarding the sale of cultural and creative products. Liu Xulu, Deputy Director of the Department of KCCTC from Chinese Language and Culture Publishing, and Meng Jiawen, Copyright Manager of the Division for International Cooperation, participated in the aforementioned activities.
