China's most popular periodical, Reader, will publish in the United States and Canada next year, according to a contract signed by its publisher and a US-based company yesterday.

"Reader" is a Chinese periodical with articles, previously published or not, contributed by readers from all walks of life. First published in 1981, the magazine has ranked in the top 10 in circulation among Chinese magazines for the last 13 years and has the highest circulation in the country today.

As of April 2003, it had a circulation of 7.65 million copies and ranked fourth in circulation among magazines worldwide. It is well known throughout China for its high quality and heartwarming humanistic style.

Reader was originally named Reader's Digest, which resulted in a copyright dispute with the American magazine Reader's Digest. In 1993, the Chinese Reader's Digest decided to give up its original name and change it to Reader, ending the year-long legal dispute.

The publisher, Gansu Renmin Press, signed a US$4.5-million contract with the US publisher Big Way Media Inc, in Lanzhou, capital of Northwest China's Gansu Province.

According to the contract, from 2004 to 2008, the company is entitled to publish 5,000 simplified Chinese versions of Reader, to be priced at US$2.50 per copy. In the fifth year, circulation will increase to 25,000 per issue.

"It is the first time that a Chinese periodical will be sold in North America since China's entry to the World Trade Organization," said Zhang Bohai, president of the China Periodicals Association.

Reader has a large group of overseas Chinese readers. This deal will further boost the spread of Chinese culture worldwide, said Michael Yang, president of the company.

An English version is expected to enter the North American market later, according to Zhang.

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