(Yicai Global) July 1 -- China Science Publishing & Media will acquire EDP Sciences, the time-honored French firm behind the publications of EDP Sciences, EDP Sante and EDP Open platform, for EUR12 million (USD13.6 million) to expand its influence abroad.

China Science penned a stock purchase agreement with EDP's four major shareholders, including Societe Francaise de Physique and Societe Chimique de France, the Beijing-based firm said in a statement. EDP's British unit EDP Sciences Ltd. and EDP Sante, its French medical branch, are not included in the deal. 

Renowned researchers, including chemist Marie Curie and quantum physicist Louis de Broglie, founded EDP in 1920 and its publications today amount to 58 journals in English and 17 in French.

The deal will help China Science to obtain the assets of quality content, authors, resources and distribution channels to promote its publications and enter the French market, and even the entire Europe, the company, which publishes journals supervised by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said. 

China Science publishes some of the best scientific journals in China, including the Science China Press, China Science Bulletin and the National Science Review.

Editor: Emmi Laine