A boy reads a book on Saturday at the International Book Fair in the central German city of Frankfurt, where China is this year’s guest of honor. [Agencies]

There may have been fewer exhibitors and visitors than previous years, but that did not stop China from making a massive impact as guest of honor at the world-famous Frankfurt Book Fair, which closed yesterday.

Despite an understated 2009 event due to the global financial downturn, the Chinese delegation reaped a harvest of copyright deals and did a record number of export deals.

By Friday, the copyright to more than 1,300 books had been sold to foreign publishers, while Chinese firms had signed up to import 883 overseas titles, said Zhang Fuhai, director of China’s guest of honor committee.

Among the works to be exported are ancient books on Chinese culture and history, the nation’s Scientific and Technological Development Roadmap, and the novel King Gesar, penned by popular Tibetan author Alai.

Besides copyright trade, the Chinese delegation also held many successful symposiums, public readings by authors and art exhibitions.

"China has done something far better than any previous guest of honor at the fair," said Stephen Bourne, chief executive of Cambridge University Press, which signed a deal with China Intercontinental Press to import a series of books entitled Cultural China.

"There is now an understanding among foreign publishers that China is very serious about getting its culture and knowledge to the West. It’s a message that started to come out three years ago but has really made an impact at this year’s fair."

China’s publishing industry has grown remarkably since its opening-up policy.