Most of the copyrights were sold to mainstream Western markets, as well as countries involved with the Belt and Road Initiative.

The report also says that China's publishing market was worth 1.8 trillion yuan ($264 billion) in 2017, an increase of 4.5 percent from 2016. And digital publishing was worth 707 billion yuan in 2017, up 23.6 percent from the previous year.

The report says that works which accounted for more than 1 million copies each in 2017 comprised 17 categorized as Party/leadership/political thoughts, seven from literature and 18 children's works.

Lin says: "Children's publishing is a growing sector. And one sees a deeper involvement with technology, like cloud services, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality.

"Also, there are now various platforms and ways to read digitally. And there is a call for better reading experiences, like better bookstores."

Asked about the industry's response to the trends, she says: "The fair offers its answers and reactions."

The event's eight halls have been redesigned. There will be more space for children's sectors, and technology/education companies are offering book-related services and creative cultural products.

"A book is a gateway to infinite possibilities. We want visitors to experience them and to interact," says Lin.