China underscored its growing influence in global publishing as the "focus country" at the 10th Istanbul Publishing Fellowship this week, with its delegation forging international partnerships and spotlighting the nation's literary heritage.

Six Chinese publishing houses participated in the event, which drew over 370 publishers from 75 countries, including 120 from Türkiye, organizers said.

Mingzhou Zhang, president of the nonprofit Lifetree Culture Promotion Center, noted robust demand for Chinese children's books, particularly from publishers in Türkiye, Canada, Ethiopia, and Lebanon. "We've received significant interest in copyright acquisitions," Zhang told Xinhua, highlighting China's expanding cultural reach.

Notable titles included the dual-sided picture book I Love Mom, I Love Dad by educator Zhu Yongxin and illustrator Yu Rong, which explores familial bonds through separate narratives on maternal and paternal love.

A Chinese adaptation of A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea -- UN official Melissa Fleming's account of Syrian refugee Doaa Al-Zamel's survival after a 2014 shipwreck -- garnered attention for its reimagining as a children's picture book. Told from the perspective of an infant rescued in the tragedy, the adaptation has drawn interest from Canadian and Ethiopian publishers and will feature at the Beijing International Book Fair, where Fleming and Al-Zamel are slated to appear.

Shireen Kreidieh Hasbini, general manager of Lebanon's Asala Publishers, praised China's literary diversity, calling its focus country designation "long overdue."

Turkish author and Sinology scholar Giray Fidan, who recently translated the 18th-century classic The Dream of the Red Chamber into Turkish, emphasized China's pivotal role in global publishing. "China's market is indispensable, and collaborations will only deepen," he said.

The fellowship, aimed at fostering cross-cultural dialogue, continues through the week with rights negotiations and panels on emerging publishing trends.