CHINESE ASSOCIATION is a social organization that promotes excellence, inclusion and education. It has received a historical marker from the GHS and organizes community support for victims of anti-Chinese racial violence.
Its members are mainly merchants. They lobbied the British Government to protect their interests in China. They also formed a School of Practical Chinese.
The China Association was founded in 1889
Many immigrants joined associations of family names, locations and professions to help them succeed in their new homes. These organizations often kept rosters, which may include information about your ancestor’s family members and associates. Associations of this kind are a useful source for researching the histories of Chinese immigrants and their communities.
The China Association was a mercantile body representing those British traders involved in trade with China, Hong Kong and Japan. It worked closely alongside the London China Houses, local Chambers of Commerce and Federation of British Industries, and took up grievances raised by its members with the Foreign Office and Chinese authorities.
The China Association was also active in the movement to reform the Chinese Empire. Chapters were established in over 150 cities across the world, including Victoria. During the Communist advance across China following World War II, the Association alerted the British Government to the difficult circumstances under which many businesses operated in China, and successfully brought about official action to protect British interests.
Its purpose was to represent British commercial interests in China
A mercantile body, the Association represented British commercial interests in China, Hong Kong and Japan. It contacted the Foreign Office on behalf of traders to express their grievances and sought to influence British Government policy regarding Chinese affairs. It also produced quarterly summaries of Chinese domestic and foreign affairs, translations of the Chinese press, and regularly negotiated with the Chinese authorities to secure privileges for British trade.
The Association’s members included representatives of the large China Houses and Members of Parliament from the China block, and former colonial and military officials returned from service in the Far East. They were able to influence the prevailing attitude of the British Government towards China. The gulf between the two peoples narrowed, and many merchants and officials sent home colourful reports on China’s refinements and culture.
ACPS has held conferences around the world at which cutting edge scholarship on Chinese political studies has been presented. It manages the well-regarded journal of Chinese Political Studies, produces edited volumes and special JCPS issues, and maintains collaborative links with academic, educational and professional institutions internationally.
Its members were mainly merchants
Many Chinese immigrants joined associations of family names, locations, and professions to help them succeed in their new homes. Associations were often headed by a president, vice-president, auditor, and committee of management. If your ancestors were members of these organizations, look for their names on their lists and rosters.
In the early 1900s, leadership of the CCBA was taken over by representatives from larger China Houses and Members of Parliament from the China block. This created a rivalry between the CCBA and new political, clan, and county organizations that competed with it for authority in the community.
Today, ACA works to advocate for all members of the Asian American community. They organize mass rallies and vigils against exclusion and hate in San Francisco Chinatown, and lead a coalition to pass the End National Security Scapegoating Coalition Act. They also work with partners to double funding for language services for LEP public school parents and to open a neighborhood workforce center.
Its activities were to lobby the British Government
The China Association was established in response to a growing demand for a body that was exclusively concerned with Chinese matters. Its membership included representatives from the larger China Houses, Members of Parliament and colonial and military officials returned from service in the East. These ’Old China Hands’ gathered regularly to share their experiences and discuss their concerns about developments in the Far East.
The CCBA also sent requests to Chinese communities across Canada for donations to help support its activities. These donations were used to inform Chinese residents of Canadian laws, deal internally with crime in Chinatown through arbitration between members, and assist the weak and sick.
The UK’s China policy has been shaped by a range of factors, including the desire to engage with China for economic reasons, US pressure and interests, and domestic politics (McCourt 2021). This has led to significant contention within the political class over how to frame the relationship.