A visitor checks out a digital book wall at the International Cultural Big Data (Taishan) Industrial City in Tai'an City, east China's Shandong Province, May 29, 2021.

"Chinese civilization is exceptionally innovative, which explains why the Chinese nation upholds fine traditions but never blindly sticks to old ways, and respects the fine traditions but never indiscriminately restores old traditions. It is also the reason why the Chinese nation is fearless of new challenges and is always open to new things," said President Xi Jinping at a symposium on cultural inheritance and development on June 2, 2023.

China's publishing industry serves as a vital platform for the public communication of the Party and the nation. It is also a core component of the cultural industry, playing a leading role in the new era's ideological and cultural front and the building of a culturally strong nation. This industry shoulders the significant mission of promoting the cultural revival of the Chinese nation. In recent years, the innovative development momentum of digital publishing has become increasingly prominent, with the industry's capacity growing steadily. Rapid advancements in digital technology have presented new opportunities for the creative promotion of China's rich cultural heritage.

On September 21, 2024, the 14th China International Digital Publishing Expo kicked off in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, where the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication released the 2023–2024 annual report on China's digital publishing industry. The report highlighted that in 2023, China's digital publishing industry accelerated the cultivation of new productive forces and continued to advance high-quality development, demonstrating robust growth. The total value of the industry reached an estimated 1.6 trillion yuan, up 19% from 2022.

Digital technology has broken down barriers of content and form in publishing, and the widespread adoption of fifth-generation mobile communication technology (5G) has had a profound impact on the publishing industry. Leveraging digital technology to achieve transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development has become imperative for the future of the publishing industry.