HAVANA, April 16 -- China will be the guest country at the 27th International Book Fair in Havana, Cuba, in 2018, the president of the Cuban Book Institute, Juan Rodriguez, announced on Sunday.

Rodriguez, who also chairs the fair's organizing committee, said it will be a great opportunity to showcase the cultural richness of the Asian nation, from its literature to music and other artistic expressions.

The Caribbean island is home to a sizable Chinese community of more than 162,000 residents of Chinese ancestry, and the fair will allow them and others to learn more about their Asian roots, Rodriguez told Xinhua.

The featured personality at the fair will be Cuban historian and writer Dr Eusebio Leal, who received the National Award for Social Sciences in 2016, and is considered a "fervent guardian of the island's culture."

2017's edition of the international book fair featured Canada as guest country and paid tribute to the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who passed away in November at the age of 90.

The fair brought together books from some 46 countries, representing more than 500 authors, including Canada's Margaret Atwood, the French Ignacio Ramonet, Ireland's Joseph O'Connor, and Brazilian intellectual Frei Betto.

The Havana book fair is considered the largest and most important annual cultural event in the Caribbean island.