The Blue Book of the United Kingdom: Annual Report on Development of the United Kingdom (2022-2023) was released at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) on April 29.

Hosted by BFSU and the Social Sciences Academic Press (SSAP), co-organized by the Society of British Studies at the Chinese Association for European Studies (CAES) and undertaken by BFSU’s British Studies Centre and the Academy of Regional and Global Governance, the launch ceremony attracted more than 50 scholars and students from the field of British studies in China.

The Blue Book of the United Kingdom: Annual Report on Development of the United Kingdom (2022-2023) is released at BFSU on April 29. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Addressing the event, Zhang Jian, dean of the BFSU School of English and International Studies, said that 10 volumes of the annual report have been published since 2013, having a widespread academic and social impact. BFSU will continue to use the report as a cornerstone to promote talent cultivation, scientific research and social services in British and country and area studies.

The annual report and other publications edited by BFSU experts have had a profound global influence and enhanced the university's discourse power in the international academic community, said Liu Deshun, a member of the Party committee and secretary of the discipline inspection commission of the SSAP.

Luo Lin, head of the Academy of International and Regional Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University and director of the Secretariat for Country and Regional Studies of China’s Ministry of Education, regarded the report as a significant achievement in BFSU's country and area studies, considering the national and academic attention paid to the field of research.

Song Xiaomin, secretary-general of the CAES and chief editor of the Chinese Journal of European Studies, emphasized that the compilation of the Annual Report on Development of the United Kingdom provides a platform for Chinese scholars’ resource integration and innovative collaboration in British and European studies.

During the keynote report session, experts and scholars discussed the political situation, economic and social conditions and foreign policy of the United Kingdom. They also delved into such pressing issues as the political trajectory leading up to the general election, the current British economy and social trends, and transformations in the country’s diplomatic and security policies.

Cover photo of the Blue Book of the United Kingdom: Annual Report on Development of the United Kingdom (2022-2023) [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

The Annual Report on Development of the United Kingdom is the research report series organized and compiled under the joint efforts of BFSU’s Academy of Regional and Global Governance and its British Studies Centre, together with the Society of British Studies at the CAES. With 10 volumes published to date, the quality of the blue book has been consistently improved in recent years, winning numerous awards.