1953
The £30,000,000 Business Arrangement – an unprecedented two-way trade deal signed in Beijing and followed up a year later
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1954
The 48 Group of British Traders with China was established after a meeting of 48 people in Berlin to implement the historic business arrangement
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1964
British Mining and Construction Equipment Exhibition:
- Largest display of western equipment ever to be held in P R China until then
- Stand sales alone reached £300,000
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Late 1964
First ever single-industry delegations to China – Mining Equipment and Port Installations, meeting China’s priorities at the time
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1970
Chinese promise honoured – 48 Group first organisation to be invited back
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1972
Automotive and Machine Tool Delegations
- Early technical group, 80 lecture-hours. Considered best ever mission by Chinese. Foreign Trade Vice Minister Li Jiang spent a morning with delegates
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1974
Group’s 20th Anniversary in China – Ground-breaking Talks
- Business talks – Manufacturers explain how to deal with price escalation
- UK Ambassador Edward Youde takes interest in Group’s contribution to trade
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1976
End of an era; Start of new business promotion models
- Mao and Zhou Enlai die, new leadership looks to future. Group instigates new concept of frugal, but targeted, exhibitions with parallel technical symposia. Highly successful: £1.6 million contracts concluded (£600,000 on stands)
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Late 70's
High point : Technical Exchange Programme
- Most significant contribution in this period. Twice-yearly bilateral exchange covering aerospace/aeronautics, metallurgy, agriculture and communications
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1978
25th Anniversary: Turning Point, New Forms of Trade explored
- 48 Group recognised as ‘most potent force’ in bilateral trade. ‘Working Party’ on technology transfer, buy-back, production know-how, presages China’s new economic plans to attract foreign technology and investment.
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1979
Seminars in UK to brief companies on new forms of trade
- 3 seminars in 1979, eg ‘New Realism in Trade with China’. Twenty proposals suggested from Working Party resulted in business negotiations in China
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1980’s
48 Group’s unique influence used to assist British companies
- Contract with Chinese corporation threatened due to lack of forex. Group puts case on behalf of UK company to Ministry, Chinese Embassy and
- Import/Export Commission – argument upheld, UK wins the business
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1982-89
48 Group Co-operation Agreements Between 1982 and 1989 agreements were signed with Liaoning, Jiangsu, Guangdong provinces and Dandong,
Chongqing, Chengdu cities to share business information and provide local support to UK visiting companies.
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1984
30th Anniversary: China’s regions feature further in missions
- Coal Utilisation Mission visits coalfields in Shanxi/Hebei; Mixed Mission visits Liaoning, Shandong, Jiangsu and Shanghai. Received by Premier Li Peng and relevant industry Ministers
- Group receives delegations to UK: Quality Control Study Mission from State Economic commission and Marketing Methods Study Mission from Heilongjiang – meetings exclusively for members
- Seminar series; ‘Knowing China in the 80’s’; ‘New opportunities, New Problems’; ‘Interpreting Chinese Negotiating Techniques’
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1985
First British Trade Office in China – Beijing
- A ground-breaking initiative – a liaison office set up, funded and used by subscribing companies to develop business. Sir Richard Evans, UK Ambassador and old friend Bo Yibo, State Councillor, attend opening
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1986
Queen Visits China: Group invited to Shanghai Trade Days
- Twenty 48 Group members participate in trade talks which coincide with arrival of Royal Yacht. Soft Loan facility negotiated around this time, five members involved
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1987-88
Surge of delegations to UK
- 48 Group received 20 ministerial, state commission and provincial level delegations as well as those from CITIC and CCPIT for benefit of members
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1988
Opening of Shanghai Office
- Major dinner to celebrate Icebreakers anniversary held in London. The second liaison office opened; funded and used by subscribing members
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1989
35th Anniversary: Largest yet British Trade Mission to China
- In October, five contingents, nearly 100 delegates, stretch north to south, east to west to look at opportunities in China’s 8th Five Year Plan. Tragic events in Beijing in June meant no high-level contact was appropriate, but business contacts and the FCO posts welcomed the Group warmly. As in 1950’s, it was a time of adversity, but people-to-people contact was a hallmark of the Group
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1990’s
Follow-up Mission ‘Visit China with the Experts’; New Era begins
- Activity generated by 1989’s mission continued for months afterwards and two missions visited various provinces again in the autumn of 1990 to continue business.
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2018
Steven Perry awarded the Reform and Friendship medal by President Xi Jinping
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2024
The new generation of 'Icebreakers" emerge. Jack Perry Jr assumes the title of Chairman of the 48 Group
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