Learning Chinese can be a valuable skill for your career. International businesses often hire employees who speak multiple languages, especially ones that can communicate effectively in a cultural context.
Associations are groups that help people with the same family name, location or profession. If your ancestors were members of such an association you may find their names on the lists and rosters.
What is CHINESE ASSOCIATION?
The Association provides a forum for Chinese people to communicate and share information, participate in community activities, introduce and inherit China’s culture and tradition. Membership is open to those of Chinese heritage as well as non-Chinese residents in Livingston and the surrounding area.
The China Association grew out of the need for a representative body that could represent and serve the interests of the growing number of Chinese people in British commerce, industry and politics. Its members were drawn from the larger China Houses, the merchant banks and the London Chamber of Commerce as well as from Members of Parliament and retired colonial and military officers.
Its work largely involved corresponding with the Foreign Office regarding commercial grievances in China, producing quarterly summaries of Chinese domestic and international affairs, translations from the Chinese press and representing concerns of British trade in the aftermath of the Communist advance following World War II. The archives of the China Association are lodged with SOAS.
Membership Benefits
Aside from fostering cultural and social unity, many CSAs also offer practical services for their members. This could include sponsorship for career fairs or guiding effective student-professional-corporations communication.
The idea of a China Association first emerged at a dinner held for ‘gentlemen with some connection to the Far East’ at the Thatched House Club in London on March 4, 1889. The Association was formally constituted on April 11th, and was chaired initially by Sir Alfred Dent.
The early work of the China Association focused on lobbying the British Government on behalf of its members with regard to Chinese commercial interests. This involved corresponding with the Foreign Office regarding commercial grievances, producing quarterly summaries of Chinese domestic and international affairs and translations of the Chinese press. Between 1892 and 1893 invitations were sent to British residents in Hong Kong, China and Japan to form branch associations. Amongst the Association’s key requests was backing for transit passes in China; pressure on opening the West River to steam navigation and trade; and representation of concern over peace terms after the Sino-Japanese war and its implications for British trade.
Meetings & Workshops
Each year, CLTAC offers a spring conference and fall workshop (meeting) for K-16 Chinese teachers, administrators and guests. These workshops feature presentations on new ideas and best practices in teaching, pedagogy and student achievement for high levels of language proficiency and cultural competency.
The 9th Politburo Study Session emphasized developing a strong sense of “Chinese nation community” and strengthening the party’s work in guiding ethnic minority groups. It also urged further research into the development of China’s unique financial strengths and promoting high-quality economic growth.
At the 2022 National People’s Congress, Xi Jinping called on the party to promote the “Beloved Country” policy and work toward building a well-off, healthy society. It also urged further efforts in the fields of environmental protection, fostering a “Beautiful China” initiative, and improving regulatory systems for natural monopolies. Moreover, the meeting called for strengthening public decision-making and encouraging experts to participate in political consultations.
Website
The mission of the Chinese Association is to foster a diverse and rich cultural heritage and enrich our local community. We achieve our goals through a combination of business, cultural and educational activities.
Originally organized by families that shared surnames, ancestors or places of origin, family associations provided mutual aid, protection and socialization for newcomers to their communities. Today, they are a dwindling group, often suffering from declining membership and leadership. They also struggle to cope with changing times and a lack of young people joining the organization.
The China Association was founded in 1889 following growing demand for a body to be set up that dealt exclusively with Anglo-Chinese affairs. It acted as an intermediary, taking up the grievances of British traders in China, Hong Kong and Japan and reporting to the Foreign Office and the Chamber of Commerce in London. Its archives are lodged at SOAS. It also produced quarterly summaries of Chinese domestic and international affairs and translations of the Chinese press.