ALGIERS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China will be the guest of honor at the 23rd International Book Fair of Algiers slated for Oct. 29, local media reported on Thursday.

Hamido Massoudi, commissioner of the fair, said that 970 publishers from 47 countries, including 271 Algerian publishing houses, are expected to attend the exhibition, the state-run Channel 1 radio reported.

He pointed out that China will participate in the fair by exhibiting about 3,000 books in Arabic and English.

Massoudi said that inviting China as a guest of honor at the fair coincides with the two countries' celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.

Djamel Foughali, head of the Reading Committee at the Ministry of Culture, said that as many as 260,000 books have been approved for exhibition so far.

Foughali stressed that some books have been banned from participation, citing that Algeria's laws forbid any book that touches state symbols and glorifies violence, terrorism and racism.