Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU)

Spring Concert - East-West Dialogue Music Concert
2025-02-02 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | 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)

SACU Council and Working Groups Meetings - Saturday 23 July 2022
2022-07-23 11:00 - 16:00
Saturday 23 July 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

Open-Air Cinema: In Conversation with Su Tong (China in Context)
2022-07-16 15:00 - 16:00 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
Join Dr Frances Wood for an in-person audience in London as she interviews acclaimed author Su Tong 蘇童 as he joins the event virtually from China.

This hybrid event is free but booking is essential.

Online by Zoom: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/chinaexchange/713348/

In Person:
China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London W1D6JA https://www.tickettailor.com/events/chinaexchange/697810/

Su Tong 蘇童 is one of China’s most acclaimed writers. His representative works include Raise the Red Lantern 《大紅燈籠高高掛》, Rice《米》, My Life as Emperor 《我的帝王生涯》, The Boat to Redemption 《河岸》, and the short story Mad Woman on the Bridge《橋上的瘋媽媽》. He was awarded the 2009 Man Asian Literary Prize and was a finalist for the 2011 Man Booker International Prize. He joined China Exchange’s festival in 2018 and shared the experiences of developing his craft and ideas to a packed house. Hear how he’s approached his latest works and learn more from this master of fiction.

Dr. Frances Wood 吳芳思博士

Dr. Frances Wood read Chinese at Cambridge, joining the first SACU Youth Tour to China in 1971. She worked in the Chinese section of SOAS Library and eventually became Curator of the Chinese Collections in the British Library, retiring in 2013. She has travelled extensively in China and written many books, including The Blue Guide to China, The Silk Road, Did Marco Polo Go To China? The Lure of China, The Forbidden City, The Diamond Sutra, Betrayed Ally and Great Books of China amongst other things. She is currently the Vice President of SACU.

SACU presents this event in partnership with Sinoist Books.

About our Event Partner

Sinoist Books
Sinoist Books is a UK-based independent press that publishes only the best in translated Chinese literature and contemporary fiction.

This event is part of the Chinese Write Now 2022 festival at China Exchange. The full programme and tickets for other events can be found here

SACU X UCFC Film Club – A Dog Barking at the Moon (2019)
2022-06-28 19:00 - 20:00
SACU members are invited to join SACU X UCFC Film Club on Tuesday 28 June, 7.00-8.00pm to discuss this month’s film:
A DOG BARKING AT THE MOON (2019)
Watch the film on CATHAYPLAY or AMAZON
Don’t forget to watch the movie first before coming to the online session: JOIN HERE
SACU’s monthly Film Club is held in collaboration with UK-China Film Collab (UCFC).
Dr Hiu Man Chan, SACU member and founder of UK-China Film Collab, will facilitate the discussion.

Negotiating the New Normality: BPCS Conference 2022
2022-06-23 08:30 - 2022-06-24 17:30 | China Centre, Dickson Poon Building, Canterbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6HP
Co-sponsored by SACU:
Thursday 23 and Friday 24 June, Oxford: British Postgraduate Network for Chinese Studies, Annual Conference 2022 The BPCS Annual Conference 2022 – ‘Negotiating the New Normality’ – intends to provide a platform for scholars of Chinese studies to reflect on how China positions itself in the new global order, and how individuals are adapted to the new normality.
Tickets and schedule available from Eventbrite (here).
For more information, please visit http://bacsuk.org.uk/bpcs-annual-conference-2022-programme.

The Chinese Conundrum: Engagement or Conflict - Book Talk with Rt Hon Sir Vince Cable
2022-06-16 19:00 - 20:00 | The Exchange, St Mary’s University, 75 London Road, Twickenham, London, TW1 1BE, United Kingdom
SACU has invited the Rt Hon Sir Vince Cable to talk about his book The Chinese Conundrum: Engagement or Conflict?
This Free Event is Hybrid – by Zoom and In-person.

Register in advance on Eventbrite:
“The Chinese Conundrum: Engagement or Conflict” Book talk with Vince Cable Tickets, Thu 16 Jun 2022 at 19:00 | Eventbrite

Event access:
In-person (limited tickets): St Mary’s University, Twickenham.
Address: The Exchange, 75 London Road, Twickenham, London, TW1 1BE
We encourage audiences to travel by public transport where possible. The venue is right opposite Twickenham station. Trains to Twickenham run regularly from Waterloo, Vauxhall and Clapham Junction. Bus routes 110, 267 and 281 pass outside the venue. More details about the venue, please check https://exchangetwickenham.co.uk Contact: 020 8240 2399
​Online (Zoom): One day before the event, you will be sent an invitation email link to register in advance on Zoom. If you register within one day of the event you will receive the invitation email one hour before the event starts.

About Vince Cable
The Rt Hon Sir Vince Cable was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats 2017-2019; He served as Member of Parliament for Twickenham 1997-2015 and 2017-2019; Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade (2010-2015); Deputy Leader of the Lib Dems 2007-2010; and Shadow Chancellor 2003-2010.
Vince is currently a Professor in Practice at the Institute of Global Affairs, London School of Economics (LSE); A Visiting Professor at the School of Economics, University of Nottingham; A Visiting Professor at the Institute of business, Law and Society, St Mary’s University.
About Iris Yau
The talk will be chaired by 丘靜雯 Iris Yau FRSA FHEA. Iris is a member of the Council at the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU); a fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA); a fellow of the Higher Education Academy UK (Advance HE); Iris has curated and produced exhibitions including ‘Iris’s Silk Route’ at University of the Arts London, ‘Opium, Silk and the Missionaries in China’ at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS University of London.

Q&A
There will be Q&As after Sir Vince Cable’s presentation. Please send your questions to: events@sacu.org.uk
If you have other queries about the event, please contact the Event Leader Iris Yau (SACU Council) by email: iris@sacu.org.uk

SACU ChinaChat: China and the Ukraine Crisis
2022-06-09 17:00 - 18:00
This SACU ChinaChat is a members only event as a follow up to SACU’s Panel Discussion: China and the Ukraine Crisis, which took place Wednesday 25 May 2022.

View the SACU Panel Discussion: China and the Ukraine Crisis on SACU’s YouTube channel here

Further details to be announced.

SACU ChinaChats enable members to discuss and develop their own understanding of issues. The meetings are not recorded and are for SACU members only.

Event Leader: Arron Van Rompaey (SACU Council) email: arron@sacu.org.uk

SACU X UCFC FILM CLUB - HAVANA DIVAS (2018)
2022-05-31 19:00 - 20:00
SACU members are invited to join SACU X UCFC Film Club on Tuesday 31 May at 7.00pm to discuss this month’s film: HAVANA DIVAS (2018), written and directed by Louisa Wei.
Watch the film on CATHAYPLAY.
Don’t forget to watch the movie first before coming to the online session: JOIN HERE

SACU’s monthly Film Club is held in collaboration with UK-China Film Collab (UCFC).
Dr Hiu Man Chan, SACU member and founder of UK-China Film Collab, will facilitate the discussion.

Dragon Boat Festival 2022 at Salford Quays
2022-05-29 11:00 - 17:00 | Dock 9, Huron Basin, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ, United Kingdom
SACU is an official sponsor of this great fun day out at Salford Quays.

The UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is a premier annual Chinese culture event held at Salford Quays. It combines traditional Chinese community celebrations and fun activities which make it a fantastic way to spend the day with family and friends.

Organised by Xinhua Chinese Association (XCA)

Public Transport Directions (Salford Quays)
Bus: 50/51/53/79; Stop: MediaCityUK
Metro Link: Blue Line; Stop: MediaCityUK

China and the Ukraine Crisis: SACU Panel Discussion
2022-05-25 18:00 - 19:30
SACU brings together a panel of expert speakers to discuss China’s response and position to the Ukraine Crisis.

About this event
Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine is proving catastrophic for Ukraine’s people and also for the wider world. A new era is opening up to be defined not only by the outcome of the war but also by the global response to it. As an emerging world leader, China’s response in particular is crucial.
China has said that the situation ‘is not what it wishes to see’, but in its unwillingness to condemn the Russian invasion, it has been criticised for failing to act responsibly as a global stakeholder. Some even see its commitment to a friendship with Russia ‘without limits’ as dividing the world into bloc politics.
China says it stands for peace and has offered to play the role of mediator although nothing seems to have come of this so far. Nevertheless, China has a tendency to look to the longer term.
To help in understanding China’s role and position in this crisis, SACU has brought together a panel of excellent speakers to explore the various perspectives involved.

Event access

Reserve your place on Eventbrite here.

One day before the event, you will be sent an invitation email link to register in advance on Zoom. If you register within one day of the event you will receive the invitation email one hour before the event starts.
There will be some time for Q&A. You are invited to submit questions in advance to the Event Leader, Arron Van Rompaey: arron@sacu.org.uk

Panel
Victor Gao is Vice President of CCG (Centre for China and Globalisation), the Chair Professor of Soochow University, and the Chairman of China Energy Security Institute. He has extensive experience in government, diplomacy, securities regulation, legal, investment banking, PE, corporate management, and media.
Victor was Deng Xiaoping’s English interpreter in the 1980s. He holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, a M.A. in International Relations from the Political Science Department of Yale Graduate School, an M.A. in English from Beijing University of Foreign Studies, and a B.A. in English from Suzhou University, and is a licensed attorney-at-law in the State of New York.
Dr Wang Qi is Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the UK. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in 1995 where he worked in the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, and in the next 18 years had served alternately and twice at the Department and the Chinese Embassy in the United States. From 2013 to 2019, he worked at the Office of the Foreign Affairs Leading Group of the CPC Central Committee. In 2019, he was assigned to London to take up his current position and first posting in Europe.
Dr Jenny Clegg is an independent writer and researcher, a long time China specialist, and a lifelong member and now a Vice-President of SACU. A former Senior Lecturer in International and Asia Pacific Studies, her published work includes China’s Global Strategy: towards a multipolar world (Pluto Press, 2009) and Fu Manchu and the ‘Yellow Peril’: the making of a racist myth (Trentham Books, 1994). She has published articles in various journals, both academic and non-academic, and has taken part in numerous public events and webinars. She is active in the peace and anti-war movement in Britain.

Martin Jacques is the author of the global best-seller When China Rules the World: the End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order, which was first published in 2009. It has since sold over 350,000 copies and been translated into fifteen languages. The second edition of the book – greatly expanded, revised and updated – was published in 2012.

Martin is a Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing, and Fudan University, Shanghai. Until recently, he was a Senior Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies, Cambridge University, and was previously a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at IDEAS, a centre for diplomacy and grand strategy at the London School of Economics. He was also a Fellow of the Transatlantic Academy, Washington DC.
John Gittings is a journalist and author who is mainly known for his work on modern China. John first travelled to China with SACU in 1971 and has kept in regular contact with the organisation over many years. After teaching at the University of Westminster, he worked at The Guardian (UK) for twenty years as chief foreign leader-writer and East Asia Editor (1983-2003). He is currently a Research Associate at the China Institute, School of Oriental & African Studies, London University, and an Associate Editor of the Oxford International Encyclopaedia of Peace. His book The Glorious Art of Peace: From the Iliad to Iraq, was published in 2012.

Konstantinos Tsimonis is a Lecturer in Chinese Society at the Lau China Institute, King’s College London. He is a member of the editorial board of the People’s Map of Global China, and of the Advisory Editorial Board of the Journal of the European Association for Chinese Studies. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of International Relations (IIR), Athens and a Fellow of the Mediterranean Programme for International Environmental Law and Negotiation (MEPIELAN), Athens.

His books include a monograph titled, The Chinese Communist Youth League: Juniority and Responsiveness in a Party Youth Organization by Amsterdam University Press (Amsterdam: 2021); and Belt and Road: The First Decade by Agenda Publishing (Newcastle: 2022), co-authored with Dr Igor Rogelja (UCL). He is currently working with Dr Fernanda Odilla (Bologna & KCL) on an edited volume titled Corruption and Anti-Corruption Upside Down: New Perspectives from the Global South for the Political Corruption and Governance Series, Palgrave Macmillan. His articles have appeared in Modern China, Europe-Asia Studies, the Chinese Journal of International Politics, the Chinese Journal of Political Science, and the Journal of Youth Studies, among others. His research has been funded by various organisations, including the British Academy and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

Chair

Keith Bennett is a researcher and consultant on China’s international relations and a long time SACU member.
