LONDON, April 9 (Xinhua) -- A landmark China-themed publishing project, the first of its kind in Europe, was jointly launched on Monday by leading Chinese and British publishing giants in London in a bid to promote Chinese culture on a global scale.

China International Publishing, jointly launched by China Youth Publishing (CYP) and Bloomsbury Publishing ahead of the The London Book Fair, was the latest move by a Chinese publishing house and their European counterpart to cater to the increasing desire for China-themed books in global market.

Guo Guang, general manager of CYP International Ltd, said the new project aims to import and translate more than 100 Chinese books into English each year ranging from Chinese culture, art, politics, economics, science, education and tourism.

The competitive marketing and distribution channels of Bloomsbury Publishing will help promote Chinese books and culture in a global scale, Guo said.

Richard Charkin, executive director of Bloomsbury Publishing, said international readers crave more than ever for the knowledge of Chinese culture and modern society with the rising influence of China.

"China-themed books have become increasingly popular in the western market and the project serves as a bridge between west and east," he said.

Bloomsbury Publishing, a leading British publishing house established in 1986 known for publishing best-sellers like Harry Potter, has been leading the efforts by the western publishing industry to cooperate with Chinese counterpart to explore the Western market of Chinese culture.

An English book about Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu, known as the William Shakespeare of China, was published last year by Bloomsbury Publishing and had proved popular among Western readers.