Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU)

How to Eat: A Confucian Guide to Dining Together
2025-06-19 19:00 - 20:00 UTC
How to Eat: A Confucian Guide to Dining Together – Lecture for SACU
Are table manners important? Confucius once said: “Exemplary persons do not take leave of their authoritative conduct even for the space of a meal.”[1] Even during a meal, one’s consideration for the comfort of fellow diners provide pertinent opportunity to cultivate consummate conduct (ren 仁). Beyond avoiding a faux pas, eating together compels us to bring out the better part of ourselves with every mouthful.
[1] The Analects of Confucius, trans. Roger T. Ames and Henry Rosemont Jr. (New York: Ballantine Books, 1998), 90.
This lecture is one of a series:
A Practical Guide for Every Day – The Art of Living from the Confucian Tradition
Series two – Making Friends and Entertaining (Series two, May – July 2025)
Lecture 5. How to Eat: A Confucian Guide to Dining Together (19 June 2025)
The event is free but registration is required. Please book on Eventbrite here.
Confucius lived over 2000 years ago, yet his influence remains very strong in China. During the Han dynasty, ‘Confucianism’ was adopted as the underlying ideology for imperial rule and family order. Throughout China’s history, Confucianism has been challenged, reinterpreted, and appropriated. From the 20th century, after a period of disfavour, politicians and educationalists in China are once again turning to Confucianism for guidance.
To understand what Confucianism is, SACU is pleased that experts Dr Katherine Ngo and Dr Kelly Ngo, from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, will be running a series of seminars for us in 2025, our 60th year.

Dr Katherine Ngo

Dr Kelly Ngo

The event is free but registration is required. Please book on Eventbrite here.
Full Programme of the Seminar Series here
The seminar series will run monthly on the third Thursday of each month at 7.00-8.00pm UK time (with a month’s break between each series). Just before each seminar, a Zoom meeting link will be sent to those that have registered via Eventbrite.
These seminars are open at all. Attendees are invited to join SACU here.
Photo credits: Dr Katherine Ngo & Dr Kelly Ngo

Classical Music in China, through the eyes of five composers: Online talk by Dr Ben Lunn
2025-06-18 19:00 - 20:00
Classical music in China has gone through a fascinating process of evolution which followed the shape of the society and its continuous changes. Despite its fascinating history, full of lessons for many the world over, large elements of this music are unknown to many in the Western world.
In this session, Dr Ben Lunn will discuss the circumstances that influenced five particularly significant composers – Xian Xinghai, Jian’er Zhu, Tan Dun, Wenchen Qin, Sel Nkbayar – drawing out how they adapted to the changing world around them.
SACU is delighted to host this talk by member Dr Ben Lunn, composer and conductor.
Book your free place on Eventbrite here
Speaker biography:
‘BEN LUNN puts his beloved birthplace Sunderland on the musical map’ – Linton Stephens, BBC Radio 3
‘His work extends the palette of sounds that can be brought into contemporary classical music, redefining both modern composition and concert-hall inclusion.’ – Alan Morrison, Rhinegold.co.uk
Dr Ben Lunn has forged himself a unique position within the new music landscape. As a composer, Lunn’s music reflects the material world around him, connecting to his North-Eastern heritage or how disability impacts the world around him or his working-class upbringing. Alongside this, he has become renowned for his championship of others, which have seen him creating unique collaborations with musicians from across the globe and developing unique concert experiences and opportunities for others.
Book your free place on Eventbrite here
Dr Benn Lunn
Photos copyright:
featured image: Drake Music Scotland
image at foot of text: YCM portrait

SACU Social to Celebrate our 60th Anniversary
2025-05-31 12:00 - 15:00 | Shanghai Family Restaurant, 40 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1EP, United Kingdom
We are excited to invite our members, old and new, to an informal social event in London to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of SACU on Saturday, 31 May 2025! This is a special in-person event for all members.

We will start with a delicious lunch at Shanghai Family Restaurant (shanghaifamily.co.uk) at 12:00pm.
After lunch, for those who are free and interested, we will visit the British Museum for a tour of the Chinese collections led by Dr Frances Wood, SACU Vice President.

Event Details:
📍 Lunch: Shanghai Family Restaurant, 12:00pm (Attendees will bear their own costs for lunch, a budget of £35 person)
📍Optional Visit: British Museum, after lunch, a short walk away
This will be a great opportunity to celebrate together, enjoy good food, and connect with fellow SACU members. Please book your place on Eventbrite.
Please book by 15 May so we can confirm the reservation.
We look forward to celebrating with you!

A Wise and Noble Friend of China: George Hogg (1915-1945)
2025-05-14 19:00 - 20:00
Welcome to our online event celebrating A wise and noble friend of China!
George Hogg’s nephew and biographer tells about his uncle who became a legendary hero in China as an inspirational educator and co-operative leader during the war-torn 1930s and 40s.
Hogg’s legacy is being celebrated in China this year, being the 110th anniversary of his birth and the 80th anniversary of his tragic, all too early, death.
Speaker:
Mark Aylwin Thomas, nephew of George Aylwin Hogg (1915-1945) and author of Hogg’s definitive biography, Blades of Grass.
The biography has now been translated into Mandarin and published in Beijing in March this year in commemoration of Hogg’s life-work in war-time China.
Free online talk – reserve your place on Eventbrite

Photo credits: Featured image copyright St. George’s School, Harpenden;
book covers: RWA

In the Footsteps of George Hogg: SACU China Tour April 2025
2025-04-02 - 2025-04-24
The Legacy of George Hogg
In the Footsteps of George Hogg: SACU Tour 2-18 April 2025 (with Beijing extension to 24 April 2025)
2025 is SACU’s 60th anniversary (founded in 1965). We are also commemorating the 110th anniversary of the birth of George Hogg, legendary British figure in north west China.

SACU has teamed with WildChina Travel Company to offer this epic tour for SACU members.

See WildChina’s George Hogg Online Briefing for the full itinerary including Shanghai, Nanjing, Xian, Baoji, Shuangshipu, Tianshui, Lanzhou & Dunhuang, with Beijing extension.

The tour is nearly full but if anyone wants to join please send Enrolment details (PDF) by Friday 21 February 2025 to Pete Jarvis.
If you are not already a SACU member you will need to join SACU.

“This itinerary offers a deep dive into the life and legacy of George Hogg, blending immersive historical exploration with modern-day reflections. Over three weeks, you’ll follow in Hogg’s footsteps, from cosmopolitan Shanghai to the serene mountains of Shandan. Along the way, you’ll visit key sites that shaped his journey, meet students at local schools, and take part in hands-on activities that bring his story to life. This is not just a trip; it’s a celebration of resilience, compassion, and the enduring power of education.” WildChina

FAU: The Friends Ambulance Unit and the Shandan Bailie School, online talk by Andrew Hicks
2025-03-26 19:00 - 20:00
In the early nineteen-forties China was in desperate need, struggling to defend itself against the Japanese invaders. In Europe and North Africa, the allied war effort was on the back foot and there was little the UK could do to give practical support to its key ally, China. An important gesture was to send a motley bunch of a few hundred school leavers who had signed up as members of the Friends Ambulance Unit China Convoy to do medical relief work in China. These were pacifists who had been exempted from military service as conscientious objectors, the FAU being the Quaker unit created to offer the opportunity for alternative service. In China the FAU provided medical services and transported medical supplies across vast distances on impossible roads in areas not yet in Japanese hands. It was perhaps a prototype Medecins Sans Frontieres and indeed three of its members were key figures in developing the British relief agency, Oxfam, during its first few decades.

The Japanese invasion had devastated industrial capacity in the East of China and the Chinese Industrial Co-Operatives were established to set up rural industries substituting so far as possible for what had been lost. Technical training was essential and that was the role of the so-called Bailie School at Shandan far into the North West of Gansu Province. It then became a natural fit for the FAU to support the school in Shandan and convoys of supplies regularly left the FAU depot in Chungking to make the arduous journey of just under 2,000 kilometres to Shandan. Several FAU members were also seconded to work full time in Shandan. The school’s headmaster, George Hogg, an idealistic young Englishman tragically died of tetanus. The challenge of the tough conditions in China is again underlined by the fact that no fewer than twelve of the FAU’s young volunteers also died while serving in China.

The story of the FAU and the extraordinary adventures of these very remarkable pacifists, dedicated to promoting understanding with and supporting the peoples of China, including the school at Shandan, is the subject of this talk. It will be illustrated throughout with many never-before-seen photos of nineteen-forties China including a good number of Shandan, a remote and dusty desert town that is hard to imagine today.

Free online talk – reserve your place on Eventbrite here
A Zoom link will be sent shortly before the talk to all those who have registered on Eventbrite.

Speaker

Andrew Hicks is a Council Member of SACU. His interest in all things relating to China was stimulated when lecturing in Law at the University of Hong Kong and later at the National University of Singapore between 1976 to 1988.

He is the author of Jack Jones, A True Friend to China: the lost writings of a heroic nobody; The Friends Ambulance Unit ‘China Convoy’. Earnshaw Books, 2015.

Joseph Needham - Triumph over Confusion, Online Talk by Rob Stallard
2025-03-12 19:00 - 20:00
Introduction
In this talk, Robert Stallard will give an overview of the extraordinary life of an extraordinary man. Joseph Needham began as a leading pioneer in biochemistry and then went on to become the world authority on the history of Chinese science and civilization. His work truly revolutionised the appreciation of the Chinese contribution to science, engineering, medicine and mathematics. In spite of all his other commitments, he found considerable time to devote to bringing about the foundation of SACU sixty years ago.
Free online talk – reserve your place on Eventbrite here
A Zoom link will be sent shortly before the talk to all those who have registered on Eventbrite.
Science and Civilisation in China, by Joseph Needham
Speaker
Robert Stallard, SACU Vice President
Robert Stallard met the great sinologist Joseph Needham while studying at Caius College, Cambridge. He joined SACU in 1988 and soon became a member of the council and is now a Vice President. Robert has created an information website all about China called ‘chinasage.info’ and written a book Cracking China.

London Book Fair - Launch of books by two SACU authors
2025-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Olympia Exhibition Centre, Hammersmith Road, London, W14 8UX, United Kingdom
The event is part of our George Hogg110 and SACU60 activities. During the event, SACU authors Mark Thomas and Andrew Hicks will unveil their new books (Chinese editions) Blades of Grass: The Story of George Hogg and Jack Jones: A True Friend to China: The Lost Writings of A Heroic Nobody.

Co-hosts: SACU and Renmin Publishing House (publisher of Blades of Grass, Chinese edition) are co-hosting this book launch event.

Members who are interested in participating can book their LBF tickets at
https://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/en-gb/get-tickets.html
The ticket is not cheap, but people can get a discount and signed book and enjoy the whole book fair for the whole day.

Film screening: The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru
SACU members are also invited to attend a free film screening of this documentary film on the evening of Tuesday 11 March. This is another key event by Chinese publishers at the London Book Fair. Invitations have been sent out by email to all members.

Jack Jones: A True Friend of China: The Lost Writings of a Heroic Nobody (Chinese edition) by Andrew Hicks

Blades of Grass: The Story of George Hogg (Chinese edition) by Mark Aylwin Thomas

Dunhuang and the Mogao Caves: Joseph Needham on the Silk Road, Online talk by Frances Wood
2025-02-26 19:00 - 20:00
When SACU founder Joseph Needham led an expedition to Gansu in 1943, he intended to stay for a couple of days at the Mogao caves near Dunhuang. The breakdown of a lorry and the difficulty of obtaining spare parts meant that he spent several weeks there, making drawings and taking photographs of the caves, adding considerably to knowledge of this wonderful site. The history of the caves and their exploitation by early 20th century explorers forms a background to Needham’s visit.
Speaker information: Frances Wood
Dr Frances Wood, one of SACU’s vice presidents, studied Chinese at Cambridge and Peking universities Curator of the Chinese collections in the British Library 1977-2013, responsible for the Chinese manuscripts from Dunhuang.
She has written a number of books on Chinese culture including works on the Silk Road, Marco Polo, the First Emperor and the Forbidden City.
Free online talk – reserve your place on Eventbrite here
A Zoom link will be sent shortly before the talk to all those who have registered on Eventbrite.
Joseph Needham in Cambridge

Spring Concert - East-West Dialogue Music Concert
2025-02-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5HT, United Kingdom
SACU is co-host for this evening’s Lunar New Year concert celebrating music and cultural exchange at the Royal Academy of Music, together with the Sino-British Ensemble and the UK Beijing Arts Centre. All welcome.
Our concert will feature musicians from diverse backgrounds, showcasing the power of cultural harmony through music, in celebration of Spring Festival and SACU’s 60th anniversary year.
SACU President Prof. Michael Wood will make the welcome speech.
Sino-British Ensemble is an instrumental and vocal ensemble composed of young artists from the UK, including artists from China, UK, India and Germany performing innovative and fusion styles, as well as new arrangements of classic Eastern and Western Music.
Programme here
Book on Eventbrite – tickets £24-£54 – here.
There is a DISCOUNT CODE FOR SACU MEMBERS: email membership@sacu.org.uk
Volunteers to join the concert choir welcome – contact zoe@sacu.org.uk

2024/25 SACU/Peking University Essay/Art Competition
2025-01-01 08:00 - 2025-06-27 12:00
2025 is the 60th Anniversary of SACU and so the aim of this year’s competition for senior school students is to encourage young people to explore the history of SACU through its digital archive database and other resources to produce a written essay or a piece of art.

The competition is now open and welcomes entries from all senior school children and there are great prizes for the winners!
Full details in the flyer here

THEMES
1. How do you see the contribution of SACU and its significance to us today?
SACU was founded by Dr. Joseph Needham in 1965 with the support of others determined to promote intercultural and international communication globally. You are encouraged to explore the history of SACU, by focusing on a person or on an event or events and tell us how you would promote understanding between different cultures and peoples today.
2. How do you see the two capital cities of UK and China – London and Beijing?
London and Beijing are both major world cities. To promote understanding between the UK and China, the two capital cities should be able to work together in many ways. You may either present an understanding of aspects of one city in a foreigner’s eyes or do a comparative study of aspects of the two cities with suggestions on potential for collaboration.
If you have contacts with any senior schools please do forward this flyer to them. The competition welcomes entries from all senior school children and there are great prizes for the winners!

The Mission! - The Portico Library, Manchester
2024-04-18 18:00 - 19:00 | The Portico Library, 57 Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HY, United Kingdom
Exhibition Curator Iris Yau (SACU Council) is in conversation on the ‘Mission’, the reaction from some churches and Christians to both the opium trade and China.
Iris Yau (丘靜雯 FRSA FHEA) discusses Missionaries in China with Dr Debbie Challis (FRHS) and their role in the campaigning against the opium trade, the ambivalent view of the Church of England and eyewitnesses to the trade of it.
Book on Eventbrite here (there is a charge):
SACU members can attend the event free of charge, email the exhibition curator Iris Yau (SACU Council) for complimentary tickets: iris@sacu.org.uk

Iris Yau (SACU Council) at her exhibition “Infamous: Opium, Silk, Tea and the Mission”

March Against Sinophobia - Saturday 16 March 2024
2024-03-16 12:00 - 16:00 | Home Office – Westminster, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF, United Kingdom
Calling all SACU members and friends to support this global demonstration against racism towards people with Chinese, South East and South-East Asian heritage. Last year over 15,000 people took to the streets of London as part of an international day of protest for United Nations Anti-Racism Day. SACU stood with them, spreading awareness of the rise in Sinophobia and anti-South East Asian sentiment.
Saturday 16 March 2024 – join us again by looking for the SACU Banner (a dragon might be joining us this year) outside the Home Office in Westminster. Nearest tube stations are St James’s Park, Westminster and Pimlico. We hope many more of you can join the march this year, we need more people to take turns to hold the banner, placards and the dragon… Please see the attached document (in pdf) for full details and flyers. Share share share…

SACU x SUTR ‘Stand Up To Sinophobia’ 12 noon 16 March 2024 London flyer (full)

If you are not able to attend the march in-person, please support the demonstration online using the below hashtags on social media…
#StandUpToSinophobia #NoToRacismAgainstESEA #StopRacism. #WorldAgainstRacism

Assembly Time: from 12pm Saturday 16 March 2024 (UN Anti-Racism Day 2024)

Where: Home Office, London, SW1P 4DF and march to No.10 Downing Street

Theme: Dragon for the Year of Loong

Contact details: Iris Yau (SACU Council) iris@sacu.org.uk

'Infamous' Curator-led Exhibition Tour at The Portico Library, Manchester
2024-03-09 14:00 - 16:00 | The Portico Library, 57 Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HY, United Kingdom
Exhibition curator Iris Yau (SACU Council) is giving a private tour for SACU members of her exhibition ‘Infamous: Opium, Silk, Tea and the Mission‘ at The Portico Library in Mosley Street, Manchester on Saturday 9 March 2024, from 2.00pm.
Iris Yau (SACU Council) at her exhibition “Infamous: Opium, Silk, Tea and the Mission”
Please contact Iris for further details: iris@sacu.org.uk

The Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding/Peking University ESSAY/ ART COMPETITION 2023-2024
2023-11-04 - 2024-05-10
THE INTRODUCTION
The Society for Anglo- Chinese Understanding (SACU) was founded over 50 years ago to build friendship and understanding between the peoples of China and the UK. The SACU/ Peking University Essay Competition began as part of the marking of SACU’s 50th Anniversary in 2015. Now in its 7th year the aim of the competition is to encourage the younger generation to define harmony by exploring literature, art, philosophy and/or international relations and to consider ways of promoting friendship and understanding between the peoples of the UK and China.

THE THEME
How do you see harmony in the cultural context of China and/or the UK?
Harmony is an ideal: a happy balance of mutual benefit, whether in our own relationships, in our attitude to nature and the environment or in the wider context of relations between cultures and nations. But how can it be achieved? How was it achieved in the past and how can we secure it for the future?
Both China and the UK have long philosophical traditions which seek in many different ways to achieve harmony. How do you see harmony in the cultures of the UK and/or China? We invite you to explore the meanings of harmony through literature, art, philosopy and/or international relations in the context of British culture and/or Chinese culture with wide ranging perspectives and profound analysis.

THE ENTRY REQUIREMENT

The submissions could be an essay or an artistic form, which could involve for example photography, other visual art, choreographed dance, etc.
We suggest essays should be a maximum of 2, 000 words and videos no longer than 5 minutes

THE ENTRY PROCESS

Entries will be considered in two categories: 16 years and above; below 16 years.
Each school will run its own internal process in order to select up to 3 entries for each category – 16 years and above; and below 16 years.
The closing date for submissions for judging will be 10th May 2024.
Each school will be encouraged to forward their views on their entries via their SACU member link to the judging panel.
Schools will be asked to submit the email addresses for all entrants [not just the shortlisted 3 for each category] as all entrants will be given a free student membership of SACU for one year as a thank you for entering.

THE AWARDS

The awards will be sponsored by Peking University with three prizes of £200 / £100 /£50 in each category.
The prize winners in each category are encouraged to have a field trip in China for UK students or a field trip in the UK for Chinese students. They can apply for financial support by presenting a research-based field trip proposal by the end of 2024. The successful applicant in each category will be offered with financial support of £2000 and will be required to submit a research report to SACU after the trip to China or the UK.
The judging panel, chaired by Dr. Frances Wood, renowned author on China and former head of the British Library China Collection and SACU Vice President, will give their views on the entries.
There will be an Awards Event for all the shortlisted entrants in June 2024 in London, involving Dr. Frances Wood and Prof Sun Hua of Peking University – an expert in historical figures who have contributed to building friendship between the peoples of China and the West.
SACU is an officially registered charity in the UK. All entries submitted to SACU will be part of property of SACU, which endows SACU to use it for the purpose of promoting the friendship between the UK and China in the future.

THE SUPPORT FROM SACU
With the mission of SACU to improve understanding of China and its culture, we would like to offer talks to the schools in the UK under the title of “China in the World”. Members of our Speakers Bureau are all established writers and speakers on China with many years’ experience of living and working in the Chinese world. It is hoped that the talks on China will bring more thoughtful and insightful perspective to the students who are interested not only in the competition but in the promotion of UK-China relationship in the future.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
All competition entries and any accompanying material submitted to SACU will become the property of SACU.

THE SACU CONTACT FOR THE COMPETITION AND TALK ON “CHINA IN THE WORLD”
Schools/Teachers who wish to participate please contact SACU and discuss how they would like to proceed via Mrs. Fang Wang, the coordinator of the event at EssayCompetition@sacu.org.uk.

Global Security Initiative Concept Paper - Panel Discussion
2023-05-30 18:30 - 20:00
Join Dr Jenny Clegg, SACU Vice President, in conversation with leading experts in the fields of China, peace and defence: John Gittings, Keith Bennett, Tom Unterrainer and Dr Zeno Leoni.
About the speakers
Dr. Jenny Clegg is a researcher and author specialising in China and Asia Pacific affairs. Her book “China’s Global Strategy: Towards a Multipolar World” was published by Pluto Press in 2009. She is a longtime peace activist.
Keith Bennett is a researcher and consultant on China’s international relations as well as the co-editor of ‘Friends of Socialist China’ platform.
Tom Unterrainer is the Chair of the UK Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Dr Zeno Leoni is a Lecturer in ‘Challenges to the International Order’ at the Defence Studies Department of King’s College London, based within the Joint Services and Staff College (JSCSC) of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. He is also an affiliate to the Lau China Institute of King’s College London, where he is co-convenor of the same institute’s policy brief series named China in the World.

The role of translation in increasing understanding
2023-04-29 14:00 - 15:00 | Wesley Hotel Euston, 81-103 Euston Street, London, NW1 2EZ, United Kingdom
SACU Vice-President, Dr Frances Wood is in conversation with acclaimed translators Helen Wang and Nicky Harman.

Dr. Frances Wood is a librarian, sinologue, historian and former head of the Chinese Collection at the British Library, known for her writings on Chinese history, including Marco Polo, life in the Chinese treaty ports, and the First Emperor of China.

Nicky Harman and Helen Wang have both won major prizes in China celebrating their translations. Nicky is one of the world’s best and most prolific translators of Chinese contemporary fiction and Helen has been especially praised for translating children’s books. Most recently they worked together on Lu Min’s Dinner For Six (Phoenix Publishing, 2023).

They will join us to discuss this recent book, their experience of translation, its process and its significance, particularly its importance in increasing understanding.

The publisher has kindly supplied some copies of the translated books to sell. If you think you might want to buy one, please bring cash as payment. The novel both speakers translated together is £12.99 and the two Young Adult novels are £3.75 and £11.99. If it is more convenient (and you are willing), you could round up your payment (for instance, to £5, or £15) and we will split the extra money between SACU and Paper Republic (both registered charities).

Sign up using the link below! Look forward to seeing you there.

Standing Up To Sinophobia - Saturday 18 March 2023
2023-03-18 12:00 - 15:00 | Outside BBC, Portland Place, Outside BBC, Portland Place, London, W1A 1AA, United Kingdom
Calling all SACU members and friends to support this global demonstration against racism towards people with Chinese, South East and South-east Asian heritage.
Last year, over 10,000 people took to the streets of London as part of the global day of protest for UN Anti-Racism Day. SACU stood with them, spreading awareness of the rise in Sinophobia and anti-southeast Asian sentiment.
Join us again by looking for the SACU Banner outside the BBC on Portland Place. Nearest tube stations are Oxford Circus, Goodge Street and Warren Street.
Find out more information below:

Campaign Against Racism Group
Stand Up To Racism
End Violence and Racism Against East and Southeast Asian Communities
Stop Asian Hate UK
Trade Union Congress Anti-Racism Taskforce
World Against Racism

If you are not able to attend the march in-person, please support the demonstration online using the below hastags on social media… #NoToSinophobia#NoToRacismAgainstESEA#ResistRacism#WorldAgainstRacism

Young SACU Hotpot - London
2023-02-25 13:30 | Haidilao HotPot, Unit 4/5 Coventry Street, London, W1D 7DH, United Kingdom
A chill hotpot social at an amazing restaurant for anyone who wants to chat about China.

Reserve on Eventbrite – £28 admission:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/young-sacu-hotpot-tickets-527219627097?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Understanding SACU - SACU ChinaChat online
2023-02-22 19:00 - 20:00
The atmosphere within which SACU seeks to promote understanding of China has deteriorated considerably in the last two or three years. How do we find our bearings during such uncertain and unpredictable times? In SACU we know we have much to learn from China, and the Chinese approach of learning from history in order to understand the present and shape the future. In line with this idea, SACU Vice President Jenny Clegg – whose membership of SACU reaches back to the mid-1960s – will look at the trajectory of UK-China people’s relations across this time period and even further. In doing so she will suggest some points of learning, leading into an open discussion of how we might understand SACU today, and how SACU can move forward amid changing circumstances. Suggested reading: https://sacu.org/history-of-china-uk-friendship-societies-before-sacu/
SACU members: This is a Zoom meeting for members – please use the link in February’s newsletter. There will be an email reminder the day before the event.
Please email any questions to events@sacu.org.uk
SACU ChinaChats enable members to discuss and develop their own understanding of issues. The meetings are not recorded and are for SACU members only.

SACU Council and Working Groups Meetings - Saturday 21 January 2023
2023-01-21 14:30 - 16:00
Saturday 21 January 2023: SACU Council and Working groups meetings (online by Zoom)
11.00am-1.00pm, SACU Council – The Agenda with Zoom link has been emailed to Council members
2.30-4.00pm, Working Groups meeting – All members are very welcome to join one of the three working groups to help plan future events and initiatives. These are a fantastic opportunity for any interested SACU member to get involved in SACU priority-setting. (See January Newsletter for more detail on the groups.)
Any members interested in joining the Working Groups meetings please contact membership@sacu.org.uk

SACU China Café - London
2022-12-09 17:30 - 19:30 | Ole & Steen, 67-79 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0NE, United Kingdom
Join us at Ole & Steen (Charing Cross Road) for an opportunity to meet other SACU members and discuss all things China over a tea or coffee. Those wishing to stay out later will then likely move on to a nearby pub for food and/or drinks to continue the evening.

There’s no need to register in advance online – simply turn up. All SACU members and non-members who might be interested are all welcome to attend!

China’s Greatest Poet: The Story of Du Fu – Talk by SACU President Michael Wood
2022-11-30 18:30 - 19:30 | Kensington Wade School, Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 9ER, United Kingdom
‘There’s Shakespeare, there’s Dante, and there’s Du Fu: these are the poets who created the very values by which poetry is judged; they defined the emotional vocabulary of their culture.’ Stephen Owen.

In this free illustrated talk Professor Michael Wood OBE, BBC presenter, author, and SACU President, will follow the poet Du Fu’s journey around China – which took place in the midst of one of the worst wars in Chinese history – and explore why his poetry is still treasured by the Chinese people today.

Register on Eventbrite to attend here

Presented by Kensington Wade School in partnership with SACU.

Kensington Wade is currently located on Fulham Palace Road, directly opposite Charing Cross Hospital, and is well served by public transport.

Professor Kerry Brown in Conversation with Dr Jenny Clegg
2022-10-29 14:00 - 15:00
Join Dr Jenny Clegg, SACU Vice President, in virtual conversation with acclaimed sinologist Prof Kerry Brown to reflect on ten years of Xi Jinping’s leadership, following on to consider the 20th Party Congress.
Kerry Brown is a Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College London. He is the author of over twenty books on modern Chinese politics and history. His latest book is Xi: a Study in Power.
Jenny Clegg is a China specialist, author of numerous writings on China’s development and foreign policy, including her book China’s Global Strategy: towards a multipolar world.

Register for this free online event here (opens in a new window in Eventbrite)

Please email any questions about this event to event to: events@sacu.org.uk

Xi: A Study in Power by Professor Kerry Brown, Icon Books 2022

SACU X UCFC Film Club: The Six (2021) Discussion
2022-10-25 19:00 - 20:00
SACU Film Club resumes this month with a discussion on the film The Six (2021), directed by Arthur Jones.

Watch the film then join the Film Club Discussion on Tuesday 25 October, 7.00-8.00pm.

SACU members will be sent links for the private viewing and the discussion by Zoom.

SACU’s monthly Film Club is held in collaboration with UK-China Film Collab (UCFC)

Thanks to 陳曉雯 Dr Hiu Man Chan(SACU member and Director of UK-China Film Collab) for arranging our viewing and follow-up discussion.

The Six 六人: Documentary film (2021), directed by Arthur Jones, tells the untold story of the six Chinese survivors of RMS Titanic, also examining global racism and various nations’ anti-Chinese immigration policies.

The Six 六人: Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjIOni4LIL0

SACU Council and Working Groups Meetings - Saturday 22 October 2022
2022-10-22 11:00 - 16:00
Saturday 22 October 2022: SACU Council and Working groups meetings (online by Zoom)
11.00am-1.00pm, SACU Council – The Agenda with Zoom link will be emailed to Council members
2.30-4.00pm, Working Groups meeting – All members are very welcome to join one of the three working groups to help plan future events and initiatives

SACU Public Education Working Group
Membership Development and Support Working Group
China Connections/Chinese Heritage Working Group

If you are interested in joining the Working Groups meetings please contact membership@sacu.org.uk

China Week 2022 - Lau China Institute, King's College London
2022-10-17 - 2022-10-21 | King’s College London, Strand Campus, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
China Week: Exploring China’s Digital Revolution, 17-21 October 2022.

SACU is a supporting partner of China Week 2022 presented by the Lau China Institute, King’s College London.

The theme of the Lau China Institute’s China Week 2022 is China’s Digital Revolution, looking at the rapid transformation across all aspects of society and the economy driven by China’s advances in technology. Events held throughout the week (including face-to-face, online and hybrid) will provide a forum for discussion and contribute to the knowledge exchange on the opportunities and challenges these technological innovations present to China and the world.

Further details of China Week 2022 – including the various events taking place and how to register for them – are included in the programme accessible here.

A VIP code for SACU members to access events will be emailed to all members.

SACU Bridge Builders and Heart in Two Homes
2022-09-24 13:30 - 15:20 | Wesley Hotel Euston, 81-103 Euston Street, London, NW1 2EZ, United Kingdom
We invite everybody (SACU members and non-members) to a new public event, Bridge-Builders and Heart in two homes!
This is the afternoon session of SACU’s AGM Day, open to the public.

On: Saturday 24th September 2022
At: 1.30pm – 3.20pm
In: The Wesley Conference Hotel, London (81-103 Euston Street, London NW1 2EZ) and by Zoom
[please note the venue is in Euston Street not Euston Road!]

To register for the public afternoon event (in person or online), please use the following Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sacu-bridge-builders-tickets-409613534107

SACU was invited to be part of the CGTN Programme to mark the 50th anniversary of high-level diplomatic relations between the UK and China. Their Programme includes the Bridge Builders Series – these are people improving relations between China and the UK. SACU members Michael Wood OBE, SACU President, Dr Frances Wood, SACU Vice-President, [no relation] and Zoë Reed, Chair, have featured. For our AGM afternoon session, we are delighted that CGTN will be introducing us to other Bridge Builders – the Guo Family: influencers whose wisdom reaches around the world.

We are also delighted that SACU member Mary Ginsberg will be in conversation with artists Qu Leilei and Caroline Deane.

Mary Ginsberg, is an international banker turned art historian, with special interest in propaganda art. Many years at the British Museum, her current exhibition project is a retrospective of modern Chinese printmaking for Muban Educational Trust.

Qu Leilei grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution and has lived in the UK since 1985. His visual language represents his life’s fusion of east and west. His style is unique, producing near-photographic realism with Chinese, ink. Leilei’s extraordinary range of projects have included social politics, individual identity, architectural scenes, portraits and nudes– in paintings, prints and 3-D installations. His chief theme is humanity, variously expressed in images personal and universal.

Caroline Deane was trained in China and a collaborator with Qu Leilei. Several of Qu Leilei’s series originated with Caroline Deane, she is one of the homes and a big part of the heart—and the art…

For any questions related to SACU’s AGM Day, please email SACU Secretary: jacob@sacu.org.uk

SACU AGM 2022 - Members Only Meeting
2022-09-24 11:00 - 12:30 | Wesley Hotel Euston, 81-103 Euston Street, London, NW1 2EZ, United Kingdom
SACU’s 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held:
On: Saturday 24th September 2022
At: 11.00a.m.
In: The Wesley Conference Hotel, London (81-103 Euston Street, London NW1 2EZ) and by Zoom
[Please note the venue is in Euston Street not Euston Road!]

To register for the AGM (members only), please use the following Eventbrite link for both in person and online attendance:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sacu-agm-2022-tickets-409601277447

AGM papers have been circulated to members in a special members newsletter.
Please email SACU Secretary if you have any questions related to the AGM: jacob@sacu.org.uk

The day continues with lunch and an afternoon event open to the public
SACU Bridge Builders – the Gao family and Qu Leilei
To register for the public afternoon event (in person or online), please use the following Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sacu-bridge-builders-tickets-409613534107

SACU X UCFC Film Club: Life Without Principle (2011) Discussion
2022-07-26 19:00 - 20:00
Film Title: LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE

Directed by Johnnie To
Starring Ching Wan Lau, Richie Jen, Denise Ho
The film will be followed by a panel discussion / conversation
2011 | 107mins | Hong Kong SAR, China | rated (18TBC)
The story of three characters: an ordinary bank teller is forced to sell high risk securities to her customers, a small-time thug who delves into the futures index hoping for easy money, and a police inspector who is suddenly desperate for money.

Major Film Festival & Awards:
68th Venice Film Festival Competition Selected Film
48th Golden Horse Awards Best Director, Best Original Script
“Hong Kong helmer Johnnie To finds greed to be the root of all evil in his patchy “Life Without Principle.” – The Variety

Dr Hiu Man Chan’s recommendation:
July is a busy month for the debate about Hong Kong in the UK. As we have observed, most of media coverages are biased and fragmentary. They do not report the complexity and deep societal issues that Hong Kong as a capitalist city has been facing for a long time. Some interest groups of course also see opportunities to foreground their continuous agenda with Hong Kong and the new arrivals being used, only as a tool. As we continue to believe here at the UK-China Film Collab, a film says a thousand words. Life Without Principle (2011) portraits very well about the real problems that Hong Kong face. This reviewing experience will certainly make you more informed with necessary knowledge to question future media coverages about this special administrative region of China.

Watch the film then join the Film Club Discussion on Tuesday 26 July, 7.00-8.00pm.

SACU members will be sent the links to watch the film and then join the discussion by Zoom.

SACU’s monthly Film Club is held in collaboration with UK-China Film Collab (UCFC)
