About the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding

Forty five years of fostering understanding between the British and Chinese peoples

SACU is a membership organisation and is a registered UK charity, run by unpaid volunteers. Details of the people on the Management committee can be found on our Council page.

China Eye Magazine

Our quarterly magazine 'China Eye' includes a range of articles about China and Chinese Culture. It contains a diary of SACU and other events - anything with a Chinese connection. We have produced a magazine for the last forty years.

SACU Handbook

All members receive an extensive and authoritative reference handbook on all aspects of China and the Chinese community in the U.K. it has extensive lists of contact organisations; books and web sites.

Activities

We send out a monthly newsletter of Chinese related events throughout the UK. See Events page for the current list.

In Manchester there is a local branch which organises its own programme of events in which all members can participate.
Every year we organise a joint event with our partner organisation the Meridian Society

in London.
We are setting up a new branch to cover Kent and Sussex. We have contacts with local Chinese communities.

Library

SACU has over 3,000 books in English on China and Chinese culture which are located at the University of Sheffield Library. The books may be accessed by SACU members free of charge.
SACU members can access the books at Sheffield University during normal opening hours. They are now integrated into the Chinese collection at the East Asian Studies. The library is on Western Bank (Sheffield S10 2TN) just west of the city centre and about 20 minutes walk from the railway station. Books can be borrowed using the normal inter-library borrowing system, which can be arranged via your local library. Sheffield Library

Web site

This web site has over 450 pages giving information on a wide variety of topics all about China. Including large sections on history; traditions; geography; language and a gallery. SACU has had a web site for over 15 years.

Bookshop

10 % Discount on books purchased from the booksellers Arthur Probsthain, 41, Great Russell Street, London, who stock a wide range of books on China related topics.

SACU Mission

To promote understanding and advance the education of the UK public in all aspects of China and the Chinese People by:

providing facts and analysis about China - not uncritically but always from a firm basis of friendship
helping the British people to understand the meaning of China - past and present
promoting friendship and mutual respect between the peoples of China and the UK

Understanding - for a Purpose

We aim to promote understanding

to help the UK flourish in a world increasingly influenced by China
to help overcome misplaced suspicion and increase understanding of China within the UK
to help members progress their China-related interests and so to help SACU thrive

If you would like to join SACU please go to the membership page.

Charitable status

SACU is a Registered UK Charity Number 294,651. [ See details]
The Society for Anglo-Understanding is a UK Limited Company by Guarantee (Company number 876,179).

Registered Office: I, Shipton Close, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire. RG3I 6PE

Brief history

SACU was founded in 1965, the first Chairman and prime mover was Dr. Joseph Needham of Cambridge University ably assisted by Derek Bryan. In the 1970s SACU was one of very few organizations who could arrange visits to China (see early SACU tours). Anyone wishing to travel had to pass an interview and attend a short course. SACU has always kept independent with no political and governmental affiliations, during difficult times it has sought understanding and provide accurate reporting. Membership numbers at one stage reached 1,800 with offices and staff in London. The tours flourished into the 1980s, but with the opening up of China, mainstream travel companies began competing and so SACU China Tours ceased in 1989. Throughout the last 45 years, SACU has published a newsletter and/or a magazine with specialist articles on all aspects of China and Chinese culture. The organisation is now more modest in size and is run by a dedicated bunch of volunteers.

SACU's logo is the Chinese character for friendship 'you'. It is made up of two elements both representing hands and so forms an appropriate character to represent friendship through the joining of hands. The character is usually seen in conjunction with other characters giving the word an association of friendship. For example pengyou peng you - 'friend' and youai you ai - 'friendly affection'. The character 'ai' means 'love' or 'affection' and itself includes the friendship character.