The Fourth East Asia Publishers Conference took place on March 29 and 30, 2007 at the headquarters of Sino United Publishing (Holdings) Ltd. in North Point, Hong Kong. Jointly organized by The Commercial Press (H.K.) Ltd. and the East Asia Publishers Conference, with support from the Toyota Foundation, the conference focused on the theme of "Publishing in East Asia and its Internationalization." The Hong Kong conference commemorated the 110th anniversary of the founding of The Commercial Press and was also highlighted by the attendance of publishers from Singapore and Thailand.

Participants

• Chan Man-hung Vice Chairman and President, Sino United Publishing (Holdings) Ltd.
• Steven K. Luk Director, The Chinese University Press
• Cheung Shin-yee Director and Chief Editor, The Commercial Press (H.K.) Ltd.
• Dong Xiuyu Vice President, China Redactological Society; former President and Editor in Chief, SDX Joint Publishing Co.
• Wang Jiaming Vice President and Vice Editor in Chief, SDX Joint Publishing Co.
• Cheng Sanguo President, Beijing NewBeing Creative Publishing and Reading Promotion Institute
• Linden T.C. Lin Publisher and Publishing Director, Linking Publishing Co.
• Mew Yew Hwa Managing Director, Learners Publishing Pte. Ltd.
• Trasvin Jittidecharak Publisher and Director, Silkworm Books
• Ma Kin Chuen Director, IS-Reading Culture Co., Ltd.
• Kim Eoun-Ho President, Hangilsa Publishing Co.
• Kang Marxill President, Sakyejul Publishing Ltd.
• Ko Se-hyun President, Changbi Publishers, Inc.
• Han Kyung-Koo Advisor, Ilchokak Publishing Co.; Professor, Kookmin University
• Kim Si-Yeon President, Ilchokak Publishing Co.
• Yim Kyung Taek Professor, Chonbuk National University; Advisor, East Asia Publishers Conference
• Han Chul-Hee President, Dolbegae Publishers
• Chang Inyong Publisher, Chiho Publishing House
• Han Sung-Bong President, East-Asia Publishing Co.
• Kato Keiji Former President, Misuzu Shobo Publishing Co.
• Otsuka Nobukazu Former President, Iwanami Shoten, Publishers
• Ryusawa Takeshi Former Editorial Director, Heibonsha Limited Publishers
• Kojima Kiyoshi Editorial Director, Iwanami Shoten, Publishers
• Morita Shogo Editorial Director, Misuzu Shobo Publishing Co.
• Seki Masanori Editor, Heibonsha Limited Publishers
• Sara S.Y. Ng Manager, Rights and Overseas Sales, The Commercial Press (H.K.) Ltd.
• Kaga Michi Assistant Program Officer, Research Grant Program, The Toyota Foundation

Media

• Aida Hirotsugu Senior Writer, Kyodo News
• Mao Liping Information on Publication Magazine
• Takenaka Ryuta EAPC Website editorial staff
• Alan Gleason EAPC Website editorial staff

Proceedings

1st Day

The conference began with opening remarks by EAPC Representative Kato Keiji. In his welcoming address, Dr. Chan Man-hung, representing the Hong Kong organizers, pointed out the significance of holding the conference in Hong Kong on the tenth anniversary of its return to China, and suggested that Hong Kong’s experience as an international city would contribute to international exchange and the development of publishing culture in Asia.

Dr. Chan then served as moderator as Dr. Steven K. Luk delivered his keynote address, in which he stressed the importance of devising a model for mutual cooperation among East Asian publishers against the backdrop of the Western publishing industry's globalization, citing the past history of cultural exchange between China and Japan. Dr. Luk asserted that cross-border cooperation by humanities and academic publishers who have learned how to deal with the challenges facing their field can facilitate the development of a uniquely East Asian-style form of globalization that preserves the region's traditional values.

Various conferees then reported on the current state and future prospects of internationalization in publishing in different regions of East Asia.

Opening Remarks

Kato Keiji

Welcoming Address

Chan Man-hung

Cooperation and Creation in Asian Culture and Arts: Hong Kong as Asia's International City

Keynote Address

Steven K. Luk

Globalization and Publishing in East Asia: A Search for Our Traditional Values

Reports

Kojima Kiyoshi	East Asian Publishing and International Exchange: A Credo
Kim Eoun-Ho	The East Asia Publishers Conference: Putting a Beautiful Ideal into Practice
Cheng Sanguo	Publishing in China: Status, Problems and Possibilities of Internationalization
Linden T.C. Lin	Problems of Internationalization in Taiwan Publishing
Mew Yew Hwa	The Publishing Industry in Singapore and Its Internationalization: A Synopsis
Cheung Shin-yee	Conditions for Internationalization in Hong Kong Publishing: A Platform for New East-West Cultural Values?

Discussion

In the afternoon Ryusawa Takeshi moderated as Prof. Han Kyung-Koo and Otsuka Nobukazu presented topics for discussion based on the morning's keynote address and regional reports. All participants then engaged in dialogue on such issues as how to sustain cultural diversity and formulate an East Asian publishing culture amid the pressures of globalization; how to maintain human values and ethics in publishing in the face of market-driven priorities; and what policies and specific efforts should be undertaken to these ends.

2nd Day

The second day began with a presentation by Trasvin Jittidecharak, an English-language publisher based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on her experiences in the international market. Ms. Trasvin cited the importance of bookselling, distribution, and personnel training in any efforts to internationalize publishing culture. Dr. Chan Man-hung then summarized the first day's reports and discussion, followed by an open discussion on how to pursue internationalization based on a mutual recognition of regional differences in history and culture.

Proposals and Discussion on Future EAPC Activities

In the afternoon Kato Keiji submitted these proposals for future conference activities, based on the preceding reports and discussions:

• Initiate a training and exchange program and develop a curriculum to foster a new generation of editors and publishers with an active interest in Asian history and culture.
• Establish committees to formulate programs addressing the following topics: (1) copyright and other rights licensing pertaining to humanities and academic publishing in East Asia; (2) selection of titles for a catalog of essential East Asian humanities and academic literature; (3) publication of a report on EAPC activities.
• Study ways in which each participating region can contribute funding for the development of these programs and the continuation of EAPC.

A vigorous discussion of the proposals concluded with unanimous agreement to launch these programs in tandem with the next conference.