About the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding

Forty years of fostering understanding between the British and Chinese peoples

Publications

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.

Activities

In Manchester and Cheltenham there are local branches which organise their own local programmes in which all members can participate.

Liaison with local Chinese communities.

Provides information for Chinese students studying in Britain.

Resources

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.
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.

If you would like to join SACU please go to the online membership form page.
Registered Charity Number 294,651
The Society for Anglo-Understanding is a Company Limited by Guarantee (number 876,179).

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 independeny with no political and governmental affiliations, during difficult times it has sought understanding and accurate reporting. Membership members at one stage reached 10,000 with offices and staff in London. For more on the early days of SACU see first ten years page. The tours flourished into the 1980s, but with the opening up of China, mainstream travel companies began competed and so SACU China Tours ceased in 1989. Throughout the last 44 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 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 represent froendship through the joining of hands. The character is usually seen in conjunction with other characters (partly because 'you' has a very common homophone') imbuing the word with the concept 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.