During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), China made significant strides in advancing its publishing discipline, marking a historic transition toward institutional recognition, interdisciplinary integration, and global engagement. The designation of "publishing" (code 0553) as an independent doctoral-level discipline in China's Graduate Education Discipline Catalogue in 2022 highlighted its elevation from a subfield of library science or journalism to a distinct discipline with an autonomous identity. This development not only reinforced the critical role of publishing in cultural preservation and innovation but stimulated the establishment of a comprehensive talent cultivation system encompassing specialized training at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. By 2024, ten universities had obtained doctoral accreditation, offering innovative programs that integrated traditional publishing skills with emerging digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain. Notably, institutions such as Wuhan University have pioneered interdisciplinary curricula that integrate data science and semantic publishing into their educational frameworks. In parallel with these institutional advancements, China has prioritized the development of an autonomous knowledge system rooted in its cultural heritage. Scholarly efforts have concentrated on refining concepts such as "Marxist publishing views" and "intelligent publishing, " whereas foundational texts such as the Principles of Publishing (Wan Anlun, 2025) have enriched theoretical frameworks. Collaborations among think tanks further bridged the gap between academia and industry. Despite these advancements, challenges persist within the discipline. The existing knowledge system remains heavily reliant on Western paradigms, particularly in emerging fields such as generative AI and metaverse publishing, where ethical considerations and governance frameworks lag behind technological innovations. Furthermore, curriculum modernization struggles to keep pace with rapid digitization, thus resulting in significant gaps in hands-on training for AI-driven workflows. Faculty structures are predominantly skewed toward humanities backgrounds. This shortage of interdisciplinary experts in data science and technical fields exacerbates the divide between academia and industry. Moreover, China's global influence in the field of publishing academia remains nascent, characterized by limited representation in international journals and standards-setting bodies. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), strategic imperatives focus on consolidating disciplinary autonomy, fostering digital-intelligent pedagogy, and enhancing international visibility. The proposed initiatives include formalizing publishing as a distinct discipline within China’s higher education framework, prioritizing research on "publishing new productive forces, " and establishing cross-institutional laboratories to drive innovation in smart editing and copyright technologies. Practical educational reforms aim to align curricula with industry demands through "order-based" training programs and collaborative platforms that simulate real-world projects. To enhance global relevance, these initiatives emphasize multilingual programming, the establishment of English-language journals, and partnerships with international publishers such as Elsevier. These efforts seek to position China as a hub of publishing excellence while promoting cultural exchange.