At the end of the 1980s, there was a gradual merging of the Chinese book markets in the three places. Compared to the seventies and the beginning of the eighties, Chinese publishing is now entering a new stage of multi-levelling and diversification, and the pace of integration of the book markets of the three places has been accelerated after Taiwan’s official permission of import of books in simplified Chinese from the mainland. At present Hong Kong’s publications are still facing certain import restrictions by the mainland. With China’s gradual implementation of its pledge to merge with the world, the overall integration of the book markets of the three places is sure to take a faster pace.

Over the years Hong Kong’s publishing sector and book trade have been gradually detaching from the workshop-type practice in the sixties and seventies and moving towards enterprise operation. The planning, promotion and sales of the publishing sector are now being operated in a scale and enterprise manner. The hitherto traditional “1/F Bookstores” are now being gradually phased out by the scale-led flagship stores established by publishing companies while the former are shifting to sophistication-type operation with emphasis on elegant taste and unique design in order to attract their readers.

Under this enterprise development, publishers are also shifting to electronic production. New horizon of the publishing market is now being expanded with the establishment of on-line bookstores and electronic publications.

In recent years there is an increasing diversified and multi-coloured development in mainland books in terms of topics, editing and design. Besides being introduced into Hong Kong via major publishing companies, in recent years more and more books from the mainland are being introduced into Hong Kong through the “1/F Bookstore” channel. Ever since the implementation of the “Individual Visit Scheme” by the mainland in 2004, the Hong Kong book market has now been able to get an additional group of customers.

The Chinese publishing sector in the eighties and nineties were still concentrating on printing written texts but stepping into the end of the nineties and the beginning of the new millennium, the trend towards picture-printing has been increasingly pronounced. Pictures are now occupying more significant spaces in new publications and even classics have to be re-designed to contain more pictures in order to attract more readers.

Shortly before and after the 97 Reunification there was a sudden surge in demand of publications relating to Hong Kong’s political, economic and social development. With Hong Kong’s transformation in recent years, topics on politics, economy and community are still eye-catchers of readers whether they take the form of serious discussions or lampoons. Apart from political topics, books on local countryside scenery and reminiscences on local ethnic culture/custom are also attention getters.

In 2007, the total export value of Hong Kong’s printed matter (including printed books, newspapers, pictures, etc.) reached US$1.95 billion, an 11.6% increase compared to 2006. Hong Kong’s publishing industry has evolved from the past workshop-type business towards an enterprise-type operation. The market is now gradually being expanded from Hong Kong and Taiwan to a worldwide market. With the gradual opening up of the mainland’s book market, the next step for the Hong Kong Publishing sector will be a move towards this huge internal consumer market.