The annual Beijing International Book Fair, held in recent years in the spring, has been postponed to September 17—21, in response to the SARS epidemic in Beijing. John Hong at Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press reported there is a general concern all over the country that the Beijing and Canton Province outbreaks will spread.
The postponement of BIBF, the country's largest book ordering event, as well as its international showcase to the world, will have a major impact on the entire domestic publishing business. Many of China's libraries and government-run bookstores will wait until September to place orders.
