On June 16, Huang Zhijian, Chairman of China Publishing Group Co., Ltd., met at the China International Exchange Center for Publishers with Haluk Hepkon, founder of Turkey’s Kirmizi Kedi (or Red Cat in English) Publishing House; Kamil Erdoğdu, head of China affairs at Kirmizi Kedi; Giray Fidan, Turkish sinologist; and Eyüp Saritaş, Sinology professor and Director of the Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center in Beijing. The two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on publishing, cultural exchanges, and talent cultivation. Huang Zhijian welcomed the delegation, commended the innovative international cooperation model between the parties, and expressed hopes for deeper collaboration to further strengthen cultural ties between the Chinese and Turkish peoples.

That afternoon, representatives from the Xinhua Bookstore Head Office and Kirmizi Kedi unveiled the Kirmizi Kedi Turkish Culture Corner (KIRMIZI KEDI YAYINEVI TÜRK KÜLTÜR BÖLÜMÜ) at the Xinhua Bookstore A Century of Study, located within the Museum of the Communist Party of China. Before this, a Xinhua Chinese Culture Corner had already been successfully established at Kirmizi Kedi’s bookstore in Istanbul, Turkey.

At the unveiling ceremony, Zhang Hong, Vice President of China Publishing Group Co., Ltd., emphasized that the swift establishment of the collaboration between Xinhua Bookstore Head Office and Kirmizi Kedi showed the high-level mutual trust and deep friendship between the two parties. China Publishing Group and Turkey’s Kirmizi Kedi have long maintained a strong and stable partnership. Now, with books and cultural-creative products as bridges, Xinhua Bookstore and Kirmizi Kedi have established cultural corners at each other’s stores and will have deeper cultural exchanges in the future. This innovative cooperation model highlighted the unique role of bookstores as gateways for cultural exchange, further advancing dialogue between the two civilizations and fostering mutual understanding between these two ancient and culturally rich nations, while also strengthening the traditional friendship between their peoples, noted Zhang Hong.

Haluk Hepkon, founder of Kirmizi Kedi and the bookstore, emphasized that this collaboration has pioneered a new paradigm in international cultural exchange, creating a significant platform for Chinese readers to access Turkish literature. He expressed anticipation for deeper and more diverse cultural cooperation between the two parties in the future.

Reviewing how the two sides achieved cooperation, Ren Jiangzhe, Executive Director and Secretary of the CPC Committee of Xinhua Bookstore Head Office Co., Ltd., remarked that Xinhua Bookstore is China’s largest bookstore chain and a well-known cultural brand, while Kirmizi Kedi is Turkey’s most renowned bookstore chain and a key cultural communication platform. The mutually beneficial cooperation model between these two prominent brands will serve as a bridge for cultural exchange between Chinese and Turkish readers.

At the event, Shen Jian, Vice President and Director and member of the Party Committee, Xinhua Publishing House Co., Ltd., gifted the English version of The People's Republic of China Yearbook to Kirmizi Kedi Bookstore and the Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center, expressing the hope that it would help overseas readers gain a more comprehensive understanding of China.