60th Years of Sino-British Trade Links Celebrated

　　The 48 Group Club, an independent UK-based business network is celebrating its 60th anniversary in Beijing in the promotion¹ of trade links between the UK and China.

 

　　CRI's Wei Tong has more.

 

　　A delegation² of 16-British companies visited China in 1953 to discuss trade with the East Asian nation, which at the time was under the US-led trade embargo³ during the Cold War Period.

 

　　The visit, nicknamed 'Icebreaking Mission' paved the way for a trade delegation of 48 British businessmen visiting China one year later.

 

　　It led to the signing of the UK's first trade agreement with the People's Republic of China worth 18-million pounds.

 

　　These businessmen later formed a network known as The 48-Group Club.

 

　　Stephen Perry, Chairman of the club shared the group's forerunners⁴' vision on China's economic potential.

 

　　"They believed the history and civilization of China would show that China would return for 18 of the previous 20 centuries since China had been the largest economy in the world and fallen back. They believed China would come back. The people they talked to, the selfless and committed leaders of China gave up all their own time to working to rebuild China. They believe these people would bring China back. Here we are 60 years later, China is back. China is now the second largest economy in the world, soon to the largest."

 

　　As China's economic power was greatly enhanced in the past six decades, Perry notes the 48 Group Club has been given new concepts and responsibility in its 'Icebreaking Mission' under the context of globalization.

 

　　Perry adds the scope of trade and investment needs to be expanded.

 

　　"China is beginning to emerge into a period of growth where the tertiary industry, the service industry is to grow. The internationalization both in terms of going out and coming in are going to have much impact in legal, accounting⁵ and other professional services where needs to grow and develop its education. And from that real business opportunities would occur, in the financial services industry, high technologies."

 

　　Meanwhile, the club has also launched a new initiative aiming to build on its six-decade legacy⁶ in 'breaking the ice' between British and Chinese businesses and policymakers among the young generation.

 

　　Since its establishment, the 48 Group Club, following the motto of "equality and mutual⁷ benefit", has been providing support and consultancy services to British companies which were managing to enter China's markets.

 

　　For CRI, I am Wei Tong.

1 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

2 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

3 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

4 forerunners   

n.先驱( forerunner的名词复数 )；开路人；先兆；前兆

参考例句：

• Country music was undoubtedly one of the forerunners of rock and roll. 乡村音乐无疑是摇滚乐的先导之一。
• Heavy clouds are the forerunners of a storm. 阴云密布是暴风雨的前兆。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

6 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

7 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。