The 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair Photo: VCG

The world's largest book fair, the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair (FBM25), opened Wednesday with a focus on licensing and rights exchange, drawing more than 4,000 publishers from over 90 countries and regions in 2025.

Chinese publishers are making a notable appearance at the fair, showcasing more than 5,000 titles and 6,500 copies. Among the highlights is a collection commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War. The display includes the global launch and multilingual copyright promotion of several new titles, along with related exhibitions.

On Wednesday, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press and Springer Nature co-hosted the launch of multilingual language editions of a book titled Research on the Nanjing Massacre and a signing ceremony for the German edition copyright licensing.

The book, The Nanjing Massacre and Sino-Japanese Relations: Examining the Japanese 'Illusion' School, focuses on weighing up arguments denying the Nanjing Massacre. This book considers the Japanese "Illusion" school of thought that contests the truth of the Nanjing Massacre, including the death toll and the scale of the violence. 

Chen Huadong, president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press, said at the ceremony that the multilingual publication of the book represents more than an academic achievement. It is a firm defense of historical truth and a solemn commitment to preserving the legacy of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. 

"This is not only an important showcase of Chinese academic voices going global, but also a powerful resonance of humanity's call for justice worldwide," said Chen.

The book has been published in Korean, English, Japanese, and Russian. Springer Nature is handling the German-language rights following the English-language edition published under the Palgrave Macmillan imprint in 2021.

"World War II history is an important part of Western historical studies, and the contributions of Chinese scholars in this field should be introduced to the global academic community in a more timely and extensive manner," Li Yan, editorial director for Humanities and Social Science Books, and China regional director for books at Springer Nature, told the Global Times on Thursday. "That was our original intention in planning the publication."

According to Li, the publication of the English edition aims to introduce Chinese academic research to a global audience and readers, while the German edition specifically targets the German-speaking market's interest in reflecting on World War II history and compiling historical materials with the aim to "further foster international academic dialogue and exchange."

The exhibition area marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War features a variety of thematic books and foreign-language albums that highlight the crucial role of China's War against Japanese Aggression in the global anti-fascist struggle, reinforcing historical memory and international consensus.

The main joint booth shared by some Chinese publishers covers an area of 336 square meters. Books are displayed in four different sections, while rights trading talks can take place at the pavilion as well. 

On the sidelines of the book fair, which runs through Sunday, up to 58 different events in the form of new book launches, publishing rights signings, academic symposiums and art exhibitions will be jointly hosted by Chinese publishers and their foreign peers. 

Bao Ruoran, one of the curators of the Beijing Pavilion, told the Global Times on Thursday that the book fair is mainly receiving professionals from the publishing industry at present. "Foreign publishers have shown great interest in many Chinese books, which cover a remarkably wide range of categories," she said.

Among them, the book BEIJING CENTRAL AXIS: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital held its English edition launch event at the pavilion. The book publishes a complete plan for the protection and management of the Central Axis for the first time, which holds significant reference value in the field of heritage conservation. 

"They are very interested in the Beijing Central Axis, but many aspects require explanation and cultural context," Bao noted. "Interestingly, another book that has received a large number of copyright inquiries is a pop-up children's book about Chinese dragons. Because it also has a digital version and a fun, accessible format, it crosses language barriers without needing translation." 

Bao also shared that Life, the novel by Lu Yao, has successfully signed Greek and Arabic copyright deals at the fair, where the work is gaining notable popularity and recognition.

First held in 1949, the Frankfurt Book Fair runs from Wednesday to Sunday, with more than 200,000 visitors expected to participate.