Chen Guangyao, director of an editorial office that specializes in books on politics at Renmin Publishing House, described Hogg's life as "ordinary but great, short but eternal".

"Through reading the book, readers can feel Hogg's expectations for a better life, his sympathy for the Chinese people's war against Japanese aggression, and his desire for world peace," Chen said.

A panel on the promotion of books about the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was held during the book launch.

Andrew Hicks, a council member of the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding, shared the story of his book, A True Friend to China, which is about how the Friends Ambulance Unit brought medical supplies to China in the 1940s.

Michael Crook, chairman of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives, said such books are very important right now.

"The significance is the world is not a peaceful place. There are wars going on in various places. If people around the world do not see each other as friends or potential friends, but as enemies, then we are not going to get peaceful development," said Crook, a British citizen who was born in Beijing.

Stressing that good people had made it their cause to contribute to peace and development, he said: "I think it's really important to have these books come out and tell the good part of friendship, instead of remembering the evils that men do."