General Administration of Press and Publication, Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Reform and Development of Publishing and Media Groups

Issued: February 24 2012

Main contents: According to the Guiding Opinion, publishing and media groups are encouraged to:

(i) realise multimedia and integrated industry chain development through consolidating newspaper, periodical, book, audio and video product, electronic publication and digital publishing businesses as well as publishing, printing, reproduction and distribution resources;

(ii) realise cross-regional development through merger with and re-organisation of central and local publishing enterprises with similar businesses and shared resources; and

(iii) realise cross-industry development through merger with and re-organisation of other state-owned enterprises outside the news and publishing industry (Article 11).

Publishing and media groups are supported to:

(i) engage in strategic cooperation with one another by means of joint research and development, resource sharing, joint development of platforms and joint ventures;

(ii) realise cross-region business operations through establishment of branch organisations in a different region, chain operation, and cooperation with similar enterprises in products, projects and capital; and

(iii) engage in strategic partnership with large-sized enterprises in radio and television, and telecommunications industries (Article 12).

Publishing and media groups are also supported to carry out a digital strategy to accelerate the development of audio books, electronic books, electronic school bags, digital newspapers, and premier databases of academic journals; develop the latest trends in publishing such as internet publishing, mobile phone publishing and cloud publishing; and realise the consolidated listing of their main line of business. Publishing and media groups that conduct research and development of high and new technology are recommended to list on the Growth Enterprise Board (Articles 15 and 29).