KUWAIT CITY－Chinese publishers enjoyed a sales boom at the 44th Kuwait International Book Fair that kicked off last week at the Kuwait International Fairground.

"The Arabic versions of the four classics of Chinese literature are very popular at the fair and are selling very well," says Xie Yang, a representative of one of the three publishing houses from China.

"Dream of the Red Chamber is the bestseller at this fair and the book has almost sold out, just one hour after the event opened," claims another.

At the fair, Chinese publishers displayed hundreds of copies of popular children's stories from China, translated into both Arabic and English, as well as numerous books on Chinese culture.

"We specialize in spreading Chinese culture. Our books are published in several languages. Kuwaitis are important to us because they are educated and love to read," Xie says.

In recent years, Kuwaitis have showed an increasing interest in reading classic Chinese books.

At the opening ceremony, Mohammad al-Jabri, Kuwaiti minister of information and minister of state for youth affairs, said the book fair, which runs through Saturday, is of great importance to those interested in culture, both inside and outside Kuwait.

"We are surprised by the demand for Chinese stories in Kuwait. I totally agree with the minister's remarks," Xie says.

"Last year when we attended the fair, all editions of Romance of the Three Kingdoms－both English and Arabic－were sold out," she adds.

"This year we brought more classical Chinese novels, especially the four classics of Chinese literature, such as copies of Dream of the Red Chamber which is considered one of the greatest novels in China," she notes.

Mohamed el Khatib, a Lebanese partner with a Chinese publishing house, says his company has sold more than 50,000 Chinese books in the Arab market in recent years.

"We are trying to promote Chinese books in Kuwait. This year we brought two automatic book-vending machines, through which children can buy authentic Chinese books for only one Kuwaiti dinar ($3.29)," he says.

Mohammed al-Sorani, a representative of another Chinese publishing house, says they display the works of the most popular Chinese writers of children's literature, including Yang Peng's Dad in My Pocket.

"At our booth, Kuwaiti readers will discover about 70 titles, including 30 new ones, many of which are about Chinese culture," he notes.

The Kuwait International Book Fair, held since 1975, is one of the most important book fairs in the Arab region, with more than 500 Arab and foreign publishing houses, displaying in excess of half a million books, participating in this year's event.