has lived in China. Library users, particularly those who are new to China;, are given research help and, where appropriate, put in touch with other sources of information in Britain and overseas.
5.3 We publish bibliographies, briefing papers, fact and advice sheets to reach a wider audience. We anticipate a growing need for specialist information on China and have attempted to meet this by setting up a China research database. The Centre remains committed to providing free access to the library and general advice; charges are, however, made for specialist research, in-depth briefings and most Centre publications.
Advice
6.1 China's Open Door policy has encouraged a wide range of people and institutions in Britain to look to China as a partner in collaborative projects. We welcome the links that can be developed in this way, but recognise the need for participants to be adequately briefed. Individuals and organisations in China are still subject to the control of supervisory units and while decentralisation has liberalised, to some extent, the ideological and cultural climate the bureaucracy can remain a formidable obstacle.
6.2 On the basis of the Centre's extensive experience we provide advice to a large number of British organisations. Advice ranges from project identification to funding, implementation and follow up. If necessary, we provide interpreters, guides and translation services. Organisations that have benefited from our help include the hugely successful London International Festival of Theatre, GAP Activities and the Law Society. No other organisation in Britain provides such a service.
China Networks
7.1 China is still largely a country governed on the basis of personal relationships and too often, it is more a question of who you know than what you know. Good contacts in China are essential for getting things done. They also provide an invaluable source of information about the country. The Centre, through its staff and membership, has a very extensive network of institutional and personal contacts throughout China. Members of the Executive Committee represent a wide cross section of British interests in China and have their own professional and personal friendships. These networks extend the Centre's influence in China well beyond that defined by its own exchange programme. Traditionally, the Chinese value old friendships and the Centre is adept at building on the goodwill created by visits to Britain.
7.2 A reflection of the growing strength of Sino-British relations is the large number of organisations that have emerged with an interest in China. Such rapid proliferation can result in the duplication of information and effort. The Centre's "Directory of British Organisations with a China Interest" was published to meet the need for information on this new development and to encourage organisations to network with others that share their interests and objectives. A second edition was published in 1992 [copy enclosed] and will be updated regularly.
7.3 Younger members of the British Chinese community are showing an increasing, if ambivalent, interest in China. China is seen as the source of their cultural heritage, but there
6
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.