A Timeline of UK-China Ambassadorial Relations: The 1970s

 CBBC

THIS YEAR MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMBASSADORIAL RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UK AND CHINA. OVER A SERIES OF FIVE ARTICLES, WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE KEY EVENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE BETWEEN 1972 AND 2022, STARTING WITH THE 1970S.

1972

• The UK and China agree to establish full diplomatic ties with the exchange of Ambassadors, signalling their commitment to a strong and constructive bilateral relationship.  Sir John Addis is made the first British Ambassador to China in modern times. Ambassador SONG Zhiguang becomes China’s Ambassador to the UK. 

• Margaret Thatcher, then-Secretary of State for Education & Science, meets with Professor WANG Techao, the leader of the Chinese Oceanology delegation to open the Oceanology International exhibition at Brighton.

1973

• The Chinese Embassy makes a request to the British authorities for approval of a reconstruction project for the Chinese Embassy building in London.

• The British Industrial Exhibition opened in Beijing in March.

1974

• Sir Edward Youde becomes British Ambassador to China.
  

• Former British Prime Minister, Edward Heath, visits China and meets with Chairman MAO Zedong.

• The Great Britain-China Centre (GBCC) is established in London by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (formerly the Foreign & Commonwealth Office) to support UK-China relations. UK Prime Minister James Callaghan attends the opening.
  

1975

• The Great Britain-China Educational Trust (GBCET), a registered charity administered by the Great Britain-China Centre, is set up.
  

1976

• Chairman MAO Zedong, founder of the People’s Republic of China, dies after years of ill health.
  

1977

MAO Zedong’s chosen successor, HUA Guofeng, takes MAO’s place in leadership. At the same time, DENG Xiaoping rises quickly to power.

• Thomson Holidays, a British travel agency, launches package holidays to China. 
  

1978

• Sir Percy Craddock becomes British Ambassador to China.
  

• KE Hua becomes Chinese Ambassador to the UK.
  

• DENG Xiaoping launches a series of transformative economic reforms to open China up to the international community and to foreign investment.

1979

• DENG Xiaoping meets with Murray MacLehose, the Governor of Hong Kong, in Beijing. The issue of Hong Kong is raised and DENG says China will reassert sovereignty over the “special region” after 30 June 1997.

• The first agreement on educational and cultural cooperation between the Chinese and British Governments is signed.

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The China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) is the UK’s national business network promoting trade and investment with China. We have been at the heart of the UK-China relationship for 68 years and are widely recognised as the independent voice of British businesses working with China. Our objective is to support the growth of British trade and investment with China and Chinese companies expanding and investing in the UK. Our diverse membership includes leading UK companies and universities, many of the UK’s most dynamic SMEs, and an ever-increasing number of Chinese companies exporting to and investing in the UK.

英中贸易协会（CBBC）是英国促进对华贸易和投资的国家级商业贸易网络。68年以来，我们一直处在行动的核心位置，积极参与两国在每个行业和地区的合作，被广泛认为是英国企业与中国合作的独立声音。我们的目标是支持英国对华贸易和投资的增长，以及中国企业在英国的扩张和投资。我们的会员包括众多英国领先的公司与知名大学、英国最具活力的中小企业，以及越来越多向英国出口和在英国投资的中国企业等。