China issues regulation to promote public reading

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang has signed a State Council decree issuing a regulation to promote reading among the public, which will take effect on Feb 1, 2026.

The regulation aims to raise the intellectual, moral, scientific, and cultural standards of the Chinese people and enhance overall social civility, contributing to China's efforts to build itself into a country with a strong socialist culture.

It underscores the importance of improving publishing quality and producing more high-quality publications.

The regulation emphasizes the need to scientifically plan and build public reading facilities and to support the integration of digital and traditional reading. It also requires digital reading service providers to strengthen content management and deliver high-quality digital content.

In addition, the document calls for targeted support for reading initiatives in rural areas, former revolutionary bases, ethnic regions, border areas, and less-developed regions, as well as improved access to reading for minors, people with disabilities, and the elderly.