A dialogue between Chinese and Malaysian authors on the creation of children's literary works takes place in Malaysia on May 31.

Phoenix Juvenile and Children's Publishing, a subsidiary of Phoenix Publishing and Media Group, participated in a dialogue between Chinese and Malaysian authors on the creation of children's literary works on May 31 during the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair in Malaysia.

Organized by China National Publications Import & Export (Group) Corp and co-hosted by various Malaysian and Chinese cultural and literary organizations, the event featured the participation of prominent figures such as Cao Wenxuan, the first Chinese recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, Malaysian National Literary Award winner Muhammad Haji Salleh, and others.

During his speech, Lih Kang Sum, executive director of Malaysia's Pelangi Publishing Group, highlighted the group's dedication to promoting Chinese culture and education in Southeast Asia since its establishment in the 1970s. He said the group has been exploring the Chinese-language book market in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

Lih noted that the group's collaboration with Phoenix Juvenile and Children's Publishing began in 2018, leading to the introduction of Cao Wenxuan's works, such as Bronze and Sunflower to Malaysia and was translated into Malay. Lih expressed a commitment to furthering the presence of Chinese literature in Malaysia. 

In the writers' exchange session, Cao emphasized that the mission of children's literature is to provide a moral and aesthetic foundation for humanity. He attributed his international success to the universal themes and humanistic perspective in his stories. He expressed gratitude toward Pelangi Publishing House for recognizing his work and encouraged more Malaysian stories to be published in China.

Malaysian author Khor Ewe Pin shared his journey into literature, and stressed the importance of real-life experiences in literary creation.

Salleh said the Malaysian and Chinese civilizations have a lot in common, which can facilitate harmonious coexistence among peoples in the region. He expressed the hope that through translation efforts, the Malaysian literary form can be promoted in China, thereby enhancing literary exchanges between Malaysia and China.

Participants expressed hopes for continued Sino-Malaysian literary collaboration, fostering mutual understanding through children's literature.

The event concluded with a book signing by Cao at the exhibition booth of Pelangi Publishing House, which was met with an enthusiastic response from readers.