Imagethief was interested to stumble across an AP article revealing that Rupert Murdoch's Harper Collins imprint has purchased the rights to a travel book originally published by a Chinese press affiliated with the People's Liberation Army Air Force:

A travel book published by China's military will be distributed around the world by a publishing arm of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the People's Liberation Army Daily said.

The official newspaper of the world's largest military said Friday that "Travel Around China" would be distributed in 25 languages by HarperCollins Publishers, a subsidiary of News Corp., in an agreement signed at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Murdoch's pursuit of business in China and perceived willingness to kill projects likely to rankle the government have raised concerns in media and human rights circles about his US$5 billion (€3.65 billion) purchase of Dow Jones, the parent company of The Wall Street Journal.

Earlier this year, a handful of reporters from The Journal's Beijing bureau urged Dow Jones in an open letter to reject Murdoch's takeover bid over concerns that he would meddle in the newspaper's China coverage. The Journal has won two Pulitzer Prizes over the past seven years for its often-critical coverage of the government's economic and social measures.

The military newspaper said the travel book had been published by the Blue Sky Publishing House belonging to the People's Liberation Army Air Force.

Imagethief does not often find himself in the position of defending the Murdoch empire or the PLA, let alone both at the same time. Neither organization gives me the warm-fuzzies. But is it me, or this article an excuse to sex-up a completely mundane bit of publishing trade news with a bit of conspiratorial glamor?

As far as I know, all Chinese publishers have some link to a government agency or government-linked bureaucracy. There are fashion magazines in China published by branches of state-owned heavy industrial companies. Weird, but hardly sinister. As I recall, the trendy expat magazine that Imagethief used to freelance for in Beijing can trace its publishing lineage to the National Population and Family Planning Commission of China. That's publishing in China.

But the headlines position this as a "Chinese military travel book", as if it might be issued to soldiers along with their rifles and canteens. What might people expect to find inside? Where to buy ammunition cheaply in Lijiang? Which minorities should be shot on sight and which can prepare you a tasty meal first? What you should pack for a six month posting to Lhasa?

Considering that the book was written by Chinese authors I'd say that foreign tourists may find the strangest thing in it is the vast gulf between Chinese and western ideas of what constitutes a good hotel breakfast and perhaps a few too many recommendations for "China Famous Brand" restaurants. But I guess that could be a change from "Lonely Planet". 

Related:

PLA Daily (English):  The book "Travel Around China" to be launched in 25 languages in the world