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INTERIM PROVISIONS FOR STRENGTHENING THE ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLICATION IN CO-OPERATION WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES

    These Provisions are formulated for the purpose of strengthening the
leadership over, and administration of, the work of publication in
co-operation with foreign countries.

    1. Publication in co-operation with foreign countries shall conform to
China's foreign policy and principle and facilitate the strengthening of
China's publicity in and cultural exchanges with, foreign countries, shall do
no harm to China's sovereignty and national interests and shall be strictly
governed by the State provisions concerning the maintenance of secrets.

    2. In co-operation with foreign countries in publication, it is imperative
to study the situation of the international book market, safeguard the rights
and interests of China's authors and publishers and, on the basis of equality
and mutual benefits, achieve reasonable economic returns.

    3. A publishing house shall determine its projects of co-operation with
foreign countries in the light of its own conditions and characteristics and
in conformity with its own publishing principle and scope of publication.

    4. Projects of publication in co-operation with foreign countries shall be
determined through full consultation between the two parties thereto. The
editing principle, the contents of the manuscript and the finalized version
thereof with respect to a book or journal to be jointly published shall all be
subject to the consent of the Chinese party. Without the consent of the
Chinese party, no part of the contents of a manuscript that has been examined
and finalized by the Chinese party may be supplemented, deleted or otherwise
altered by the other party. Pictures selected for use in picture-albums or
other books or journals to be jointly published for the purpose of giving
information about China shall in general be provided by the Chinese party and
it is unadvisable to have them taken by the other party or jointly taken by
both parties.

    5. Manuscripts edited by a foreign country to be jointly published for use
by Chinese readers shall be those of which China is in urgent need and shall,
when necessary, be duly supplemented, deleted or re-edited in accordance with
the actual situation in China. Financially, every possible means shall be
tried to avoid making payment in foreign exchange for the economic returns
that the other party shall be entitled to.

    6. Publication in co-operation with foreign countries shall only be
undertaken by the publishing houses that have been officially authorized by
the State. No non-publishing units or individuals may undertake publication in
co-operation with foreign countries. Without the permission of the original
publishing houses, no publishing houses may co-operate with foreign parties in
publishing books or journals published by other publishing houses. A
publishing house that intends to co-operate with a foreign party in publishing
a manuscript shall solicit in advance the permission of the author or the
original editing unit.

    7. A publishing house may negotiate co-operative publication business
directly with a foreign party or may entrust a specialized company that has
been authorized by the State to handle co-operative publication business with
foreign countries or entrust a reliable foreign agency with the negotiation.

    8. Foreign units that are to co-operate with China in publication business
shall be those which are friendly to China and have reliable credit and
financial resources. It is imperative not to sign contracts with foreign
businessmen whose standing is not clear.

    9. In order to specify the rights and obligations of both parties, a
contract prescribing a time limit shall be signed. As to the ownership of the
copyright, the transfer by one party to the other of the right of publication
and distribution and of other rights or the permission by one party to the
other of the use of these rights, as well as the amount of remuneration, the
mode and time of payment thereof shall be stipulated item by item in the
contract. With respect to manuscripts and pictures that are provided by the
Chinese party, without the consent of the Chinese party, the other party may
not transfer the copyright, or extend the use thereof, or extend the areas
where they shall be distributed.

    10. In determining projects of co-operative publication with foreign
countries, the following formalities of examination and approval shall,
depending on the different circumstances, be carried out respectively:

    With respect to publications that have been published domestically,
publishing houses at the central level may make their own decisions and report
the projects to the higher competent authority for the record, whereas
publishing houses in the localities shall submit their project proposals to
the publication bureaus of the provinces, municipalities directly under the
Central Government or autonomous regions for examination and approval.

    With respect to publications that have not come off the press
domestically, publishing houses at the central level shall submit their
project proposals to the higher competent authority for examination and
approval, and publishing houses in the localities shall submit their project
proposals to the people's governments of the provinces, municipalities
directly under the Central Government or autonomous regions for examination
and approval. With respect to a project of co-operative publication of
full-length book series whose contents have a nation-wide bearing, consent of
the State Bureau of Publication shall have to be solicited in advance.

    With respect to manuscripts whose contents involve the major principles of
the Party and the State and China's foreign policy and to works by, or
biographies of, the leaders of the Party and the State, the project proposals
shall, after being counter signed by the State Bureau of Publication, be
submitted to the State Council for examination and approval.

    The taking of photographs of important cultural relics and other rare,
precious objects and the use of such photographs, and the publication of maps
that involve boundary lines of China shall be handled in strict accordance
with the pertinent provisions of the State.

    With respect to a publication project of co-operation with a foreign
party, the report submitted requesting the examination and approval of the
project proposal, copies of the contract (or agreement) both in Chinese and in
the foreign language concerned and the sample version of the item to be
published shall be submitted to the State Bureau of Publication for the record.

    11. With respect to trips abroad and back to China by professional
personnel needed in effecting publication in co-operation with foreign
countries, the competent departments shall simplify the examining and
approving formalities and provide convenience so as to facilitate the smooth
implementation of the contract.

    12. For books and journals published co-operatively, remuneration shall be
paid to the authors on the merits of each case and in accordance with the
existing domestic system of remuneration.

    For manuscripts that are published for the first time, the remuneration
may be slightly higher than the domestic rates.

    If a manuscript that has been published domestically is used, appropriate
fees may as well be paid, which shall in general not exceed 60 percent of the
original remuneration.

    If works of foreign authors are used, the remuneration may be slightly
higher than that which would be paid to domestic authors.

    The aforesaid remunerations shall be paid in Renminbi. The few really
special cases that require payment in foreign exchange, the payment shall,
upon approval by the higher competent departments, be made out of the foreign
exchange that the units concerned have obtained.

    13. In the work of publication in co-operation with foreign countries, it
is imperative for various publishing houses to display the socialist style of
co-operation among themselves, keep each other well informed, and work in
co-ordination when dealing with foreign countries. Differences and
contradictions, should they arise, shall be settled through consultations
among themselves or mediation by higher authorities.

    14. In dealings with foreign countries, it is imperative to strictly abide
by the disciplines related to foreign affairs and uphold our national dignity
and state prestige.