The 27th Beijing International Book Fair kicked off on Saturday. It is the first time the event was held both online and offline amid the COVID-19 epidemic since its inauguration in 1986.

With Cuba as the country of honor, the international book fair will introduce a first-of-its-kind online copyright purchase platform called "Rights Link."

Technologies like 5G will be applied at the book fair for cultural activities such as exhibitions, professional events and online livestreaming.

As of Friday, about 1,400 exhibitors from 97 countries and regions had registered for the fair online and uploaded over 38,000 books with domestic and foreign copyrights.

Of the exhibitors this year, 200 are new to the book fair, while half of the top 50 international publishers are registered for the event.

More than 700 online and offline activities will be organized during the book fair, including an international publishing forum and exhibition on Cuban culture and art.

The 27th fair is co-hosted by the National Press and Publication Administration, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Beijing municipal government, the China Writers Association and the Publishers Association of China.