On November 22^nd, the 2008 International Medical School Deans Summit was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Concurrently, People’s Medical Publishing House celebrated its 55-year anniversary with a series of special events. People’s Medical Publishing House invited a more than 700 domestic and international experts, along with various medical education and publishing associations to attend the event. The forum focused on Chinese and international medical education and learning materials, their current state, and developmental trends in the field.

　　People’s Medical Publishing House Chairman Hu Guochen said thae PMPH currently offers over 1,800 medical textbooks and other learning materials among its line of products and has more than 80% of China’s medical textbook market, featuring works by many authorities in the field of medicine along with pieces by many students and various other experts. All are all long-term authors with People’s Medical Publishing House and have established the press as the leading brand-name in the industry.

　　Recently, People’s Medical Publishing House has enjoyed rapid, widespread development. In 2007, it published 2,385 titles and shipped 727 million yuan (USD$106 million) worth of products. By October 2008, it had already published 2,192 titles, shipped roughly 800 million yuan and made gross profits of roughly 300 million yuan (USD$43.6 million)), maintaining healthy, stable growth.

　　This past July, People’s Medical Publishing House invested US$5 million in establishing a branch office in the United States. The press also acquired all of the medical textbook publishing assets of the Canadian publishing company BC Decker. From August to October of this year, this publisher’s international sales topped more than US$303,000 – and it is about to add an additional US$185,000 in international sales revenues. By year’s end, it will have shipped an additional US$860,000 worth of orders. One effect of this acquisition was is to accelerate the development of People’s Medical Publishing House on the international market by twenty years or so.

       In addition, in 2009 the press will invest in the construction and operations of the 80,000 square-meter World Medical Book Plaza adjacent to Beijing’s Longtanhu Park, which will consolidate offices, sales and exhibition areas, convention centers, restaurants, lodging and other functions together in one mega-complex. Hopefully, it will become a significant center of exchange among Chinese and international experts in the field of medicine, academic and otherwise, by combining offices, educational and other lecture facilities for international academic conferences, and ample space for exhibition and sales.