This note discusses the current state of publishing in the People's Republic of China and the acquisition of Chinese-language materials by American libraries, with special reference to the factors which are likely to influence the future flow of materials from China. The subject is one about which no one can be very certain in his assessment, given the rather uncertain state of Chinese publishing during the last few years. Nevertheless, some speculations are possible on the basis of Peking's official announcements, a sampling of recent publications from China, and the way in which such publications have been made available to the West. What the future will hold, I believe, depends on two main factors. One, the extent to which publishing activities return to a pre-Cultural Revolution level, and second, the Chinese Government's policy with regard to library exchanges, the export of printed materials and to the purchase and export of such materials by visitors to China.