The main gate of China's fourth National Conference on Reading in Taiyuan, North China's Shanxi Province on April 23, 2025 Photo: Courtesy of organizers

China's digital reading users reached 670 million in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 17.52 percent, a high-profile report said, as the country celebrated World Book Day on Wednesday.

At the fourth National Reading Congress, which also kicked off Wednesday to mark World Book Day, organizers said the three-day event in Taiyuan, North China's Shanxi Province, could promote a vibrant social atmosphere in which people love reading.

The congress brought together policymakers, educators industry leaders, and reading advocates to communicate and discuss topics with the public across a series of activities.

While the main forum on Thursday will release the 22nd National Reading Survey Report, which outlines current reading trends in China to share ­effective practices in promoting nationwide reading and explore innovative approaches, the sub-forums are set to cater to the diverse reading needs of different groups. 

The topics of discussion include workers' reading programs, family and parent-child reading, elderly reading initiatives, digital reading, and urban and rural reading development.

Youth reading was a major focus during the conference, with a "Book-Scented Campus" campaign encouraging reading among students in order to build lasting habits and enthusiasm. 

The conference also included a wide range of literary and cultural events such as the release of the "China Good Books 2024," national reading lecture hall, book fairs and reading of classics works featuring Zhao Shuli, a Chinese novelist and short-story writer; Wang Bo and Liu Zongyuan, both Chinese poets from the Tang Dynasty (618-980).

According to the 2024 China Digital Reading Report released at the conference on Wednesday morning, in 2024 China's digital reading market generated about 66.14 billion yuan ($9 billion) in revenue, a 16.65 percent increase compared to 2023. 

The number of digital reading works in China reached about 63.07 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 6.31 percent. 

Among them, online literature and e-books accounted for about 67.55 percent, while audio reading works made up roughly 32.45 percent.

Since 2022, China has held its ­National Conference on Reading on April 23, World Book Day, the full name of which is World Book and Copyright Day. 

According to the Xinhua News Agency, it is an annual celebration to promote reading, publishing, and copyright protection. 

Each year, people all over the world mark this occasion to recognize the scope of books, which act as a link between the past and the future, and a bridge between generations and across cultures. 

Renewed debate over people's interest in reading has emerged on almost every World Book Day in recent years, especially in the age of short videos and AI. 

However, some experts say that the romance of book reading seems difficult to be replaced.

"I don't think it's necessary to overly emphasize the impact of short videos on reading. They're not in opposition to each other," Sun Jiashan, an ­associate researcher at the Central Academy of ­Culture and Tourism Administration, told the Global Times.

"Many short videos are of high ­quality and can enhance reading efficiency by inspiring the general public and internet users to pursue more in-depth reading. So it's really a matter of content ­quality, not the form of media itself," Sun said, noting that as mobile internet and media technologies continue to evolve, digital reading is also progressing to a higher level. 

Liu Tiefang, dean of the School of Educational Science at Hunan Normal University and an expert in classical education, said that reading the classics holds irreplaceable value as it guides ­individuals to reflect on identity, values, and the meaning of life, according to a report from Hunan-based media Rednet News.

Liu said that AI technology can ­effectively deal with the "known" parts of the world, while the classics carry humanity's enduring quest for the "­unknown" and "eternal"  questions like "How can one become a better ­person?" and "What is the meaning of life?" which cannot be replaced.

At the "Spring Reading" - China-Latin America Literature Salon held at the Colombian Embassy in Beijing on Tuesday, Colombian Ambassador Sergio Cabrera said that he doubted AI's ability.

"I personally doubt that an artificial intelligence is able to do what I can ­imagine," Cabrera said at the event ­jointly hosted by the Global Times and the ­Embassy of Colombia. 

He also expressed skepticism about AI's ability to replicate human imagination but acknowledged its potential in areas like voice dubbing and writing assistance. 

Chen Yan, vice chairman of the China Writers Association, echoed Cabrera at the salon.

"I don't know how many more industrial and technological revolutions humanity will have to undergo in the future, but I believe we should maintain a sense of determination, and above all, confidence in humanity itself," Chen said. 

"I firmly believe that creativity will always remain in human hands."