Xu Hai, editor-in-chief of Phoenix Publishing and Media Group, and Sohail Shaikh, minister counselor at the United Kingdom Department for International Trade in Shanghai, pose for a photo.

Sohail Shaikh, minister counselor at the United Kingdom Department for International Trade in Shanghai, led a delegation of 12 members on a visit to Phoenix Publishing and Media Group in Nanjing on May 17.

The delegation includes staff of the British embassy and consulates in China and representatives from seven UK companies, including Conan Doyle Estate and BBC Studios.

Representatives from PPMG meet with the UK delegation.

Xu Hai, editor-in-chief of Phoenix Publishing and Media Group, welcomed the UK delegation and reviewed the exchanges between PPMG and the British embassy and consulates in China in recent years.

Xu also reviewed PPMG's cooperation with cultural circles in the UK in copyright trading, Phoenix Bookshelf, the Shakespeare Publishing Center, and the Medical History Publishing Center.

Representatives from PPMG meet with UK delegation members.

He noted that as a longtime powerhouse in the publishing industry, the UK leads the world in publishing strength and international influence. He expressed hope that the group will forge closer cooperation with the UK with the help of the United Kingdom Department for International Trade.

Shaikh said that the culture and media industries have always been key areas in China-UK relations and that the two countries boast a strong connection in publishing.

To further promote cooperation between the UK and China in publishing, Shaikh brought representatives from the UK's cultural companies to PPMG to explore further cooperation, according to the minister counselor.