A launch ceremony for the Blue Book of France: Annual Report on Development of the French Republic (2021) and a topic selection conference were held on Nov 3.

The events were hosted by the Centre for French Studies and the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), the French Studies Society at the Chinese Association for European Studies and the Social Sciences Academic Press (SSAP). 

Representatives from BFSU, the Chinese Embassy in France, SSAP, and the editorial team of the annual report attended the events. The ceremony was presided over by Wang Kun, vice-dean of the Faculty of French and Francophone Studies.

Zhao Gang, a member of the standing committee of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university, speaks via video link on Nov 3. [Photo provided to bfsu.edu.cn]

Zhao Gang, a member of the standing committee of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university, said that in an era featuring changes unseen in a century, the international situation has undergone a drastic transformation, and Sino-French relations have presented unprecedented prospects. Under this background, the release of the fourth Blue Book of France meets the needs of the times.

Since 2018, the compilation of the report organized and prepared by the Faculty of French and Francophone Studies at BFSU has filled the gap in this research field. The report also demonstrates BFSU’s role in serving national strategies and providing intellectual support for China’s participation in global governance and economic management with its multilingual and multidisciplinary advantages, Zhao said.

Yang Qun, edito-in-chief of the SSAP, delivered congratulations on the publication of the report, and affirmed its functions in boosting understanding of major issues concerning France, Europe and even the world.

Ding Yifan (R), chair professor at BFSU and editor-in-chief of the Annual Report on Development of the French Republic, and Li Ziying (L), vice-dean of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at BFSU, unveil the 2021 report on Nov 3. [Photo provided to bfsu.edu.cn]

Li Ziying, vice-dean of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at BFSU, said she believes that the report will provide a new perspective for Chinese people to learn about France.

Ding Yifan, chair professor of BFSU and chief editor of the Annual Report on Development of the French Republic, summarized the achievements of the Blue Book of France in the past four years and welcomed more writers to join his team. 

Ma Yansheng, former minister-counselor of the Education Department at the Chinese Embassy in France, called on researchers to put what they have learned into practice.

Dai Dongmei, dean of the Faculty of French and Francophone Studies and deputy chief editor of the Annual Report on Development of the French Republic, said that the book has continued the faculty’s tradition in regional and national research since the 1980s. She also thanked all the scholars who participated in the writing and editing of the book on behalf of the creative team.

Ding and Li unveiled the Annual Report on Development of the French Republic (2021).

After the unveiling ceremony, Peng Zhuyi, a research fellow of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Wang Zhan, a professor and a doctoral supervisor of Wuhan University (WHU), Gui Zeyuan, direcor of the French major at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) and Dr. Hong Hui from the Faculty of French and Francophone Studies at BFSU, delivered keynote speeches on the topics of “analysis of political parties and election situation in France”, “analysis of Gaullism and foreign policies of France”, “analysis of the industrial layout in ‘France 2030’ investment plan”, and “public finance in France in the post-pandemic era: an interpretation of the 2022 financial budget law”, and exchanged views with experts and scholars. 

Following the keynote speeches, a topic selection conference for next year’s annual report was held. Over 20 topics in the fields of politics, economy, diplomacy and society of France were collected.

Experts and scholars from renowned universities and research institutions attend the topic selection conference on Nov 3. [Photo provided to bfsu.edu.cn]

The conference was attended by experts form renowned universities and research institutions such as BFSU,CASS, WHU and UIBE, authors of the Blue Book of France and representatives from the Faculty of French and Francophone Studies.