BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The 30th Beijing International Book Fair commenced in Beijing on Wednesday, drawing a wider participation of foreign exhibitors compared to last year.

With an expanded exhibition area of 55,000 square meters this year, the five-day event has gathered around 1,600 exhibitors from 71 countries and regions, showcasing 220,000 Chinese and foreign publications to visitors, according to the organizers.

The fair has seen an increase of 150 overseas participants compared to the previous year, featuring 1,050 exhibitors from abroad, accounting for 66 percent of the total participants.

Compared to 2023, this year's event has welcomed 15 new participating countries, including Azerbaijan, Qatar, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Nigeria.

More than 20 countries, including France, Germany and Italy, are hosting national booths. Saudi Arabia is this year's Country of Honor.

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, has visited and researched the book fair.

The Beijing International Book Fair, established in 1986, is one of the world's largest book fairs and serves as a major platform for copyright exchange, facilitating the trading of publications from China and abroad, including print books and multimedia works.