Photo: Courtesy of China Written Works Copyright Society

The exchanges between China and Russia in literature and drama translation have laid a social foundation for broader cooperation in politics, economy, and technology, said writers, translators and scholars from the two countries who attended a seminar in Beijing on Wednesday.   

"Statistics from the two countries show that both readers have great interest in each other's literature works," Zhang Hongbo, executive vice president and secretary-general of the China Written Works Copyright Society, told the Global Times on Wednesday at the roundtable conference Translation and Promotion of Literature and Drama held as part of the China-Russia Year of Culture. 

According to statistics from the National Archives of Publications and Culture in China and the Russian State Library, in 2024 China translated and published approximately 75 Russian literary works. Russia, in the same year, translated and published about 150 Chinese literary works, with a primary focus on China's contemporary online literature.

Followed by science fiction, detective fiction, Russian readers also love to read children's literature, and serious literature, said Zhang, adding that "these figures reflect a strong and growing interest in Chinese literature in Russia."

Aleksei Rodionov, a professor of Chinese studies at St. Petersburg State University, received the 18th Special Book Awards of China, the country's top publication prize honoring foreign authors, translators and publishers, on Tuesday.

As a linguist who spent over 30 years studying Chinese literature, Rodionov told the Global Times that Russian readers have shown growing interest in Chinese culture, while knowledge about China has also been incorporated into many humanities disciplines.

The seminar, hosted by the China Written Works Copyright Society and Russia's Institute for Literary Translation, brought together writers, publishers, and media representatives from both China and Russia, who shared views on topics including translation, dissemination, and mutual learning about Chinese and Russian literature and drama, as well as challenges and opportunities in the translation and copyright protection of literary and drama works under the influence of artificial intelligence.

Zhang highlighted an upcoming seminar and exhibition that will focus on copyright protection and cultural mutual learning for Chinese and Russian literature and drama, scheduled to take place in Russia. 

Both Chinese and Russian writers at Beijing's seminar including Cui Daiyuan, Cai Jun and ­Evgeny Reznichenko, director of Russia's Institute for Literary Translation and a Russian poet and publisher, agreed that translators play a ­pivotal role in facilitating the exchange of Chinese literature in Russia and Russian literature in China. 

In 2019, the Russian copyright for writer Cui's book The Foodie's Dictionary was facilitated by the China Written Works Copyright Society. In 2020, the Russian edition was published in Russia. 

"The Foodie's Dictionary is about culinary culture. Culinary culture is a universal language that connects various nations and cultures. I hope it can contribute to cultural exchange and mutual learning," said Cui.

Zhang shared additional data from the Russian Book Union. In 2024, Chinese online literature writer Mo Xiang Tong Xiu ranked ninth on Russia's bestseller list, with multiple works achieving significant sales. The Russian State Library reported that a substantial number of Chinese online literary works were translated and published in Russia in 2024.

"The copyright trade in literature and drama is essential to promote cultural exchanges between China and Russia and lay a social foundation for broader cooperation in politics, the economy, and technology," said Zhang.