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The Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU) is an organisation established in 1965 to promote understanding and friendship between British and Chinese people. The organisation has no political affiliation and is open to all who are interested in China and its peoples. It is a registered charity and currently operates with branches in different parts of the country. In the 1970s SACU offered a rare point of contact with the PRC authorities: it provided information at a time when there were few other sources available and was one of the few organisations that could arrange visits . The organisation's first chairman and president was the much esteemed scientist and sinologist, Joseph Needham, FRS, Fellow and President of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. == History == SACU set out to inform the British public about China at a time when the country was internationally isolated, not recognised by the US and involved in a deepening split with the Soviet Union. Whilst the British government had opened diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in 1954, it supported the United States in its opposition to China’s membership of the United Nations. For SACU’s founder members, it was 'a necessary condition of our understanding of world affairs that we make known the Chinese point of view on all kinds of matters, political as well as cultural' 〔"SACU: 'a genuine effort towards understanding' says Needham". A Summary of the speech given by Dr Joseph Needham, FRS, Fellow and President of Caius College Cambridge.SACU News. (undated, circa October 1965).〕 Since 1949, the Britain-China Friendship Association (BCFA) had provided information to the UK public about politics in China. The organisation had close ties to the Communist Party of Great Britain. During the Sino-Soviet dispute of the early 1960s, Needham felt that the BCFA was failing to put across the Chinese view. He resigned from the presidency to seek to form a new organisation.〔Buchanan, Tom (2012). East Wind: China and the British Left, 1925-1976, Oxford University Press. pp. 176-177; p. 192. ISBN 978-0-19-957033-1〕 He was joined by other leading BCFA members, Joan Robinson, Professor of Economics at Cambridge, Derek Bryan, former British diplomat,〔(Roland Berger and Jack Perry )〕 businessmen who had been involved in the 'Ice Breaker's Mission' 〔Timberlake, Percy (1994). The Story of the Icebreakers in China The 48 Group Club ISBN 0-9524658-0-9.〕 to open trade with China in the 1950s. They sought to establish a more broadly based movement to foster friendship with China not only in political but also cultural and academic circles. They gained support from over 200 prestigious sponsors from the arts, sciences, universities and public life, including eight MPs from all three parties, notably Jeremy Thorpe and Andrew Faulds, co-founder of the Great Britain China Parliamentary group in 1968; five bishops and other leading religious figures; and from the trade unions, Ernie Roberts, Assistant General Secretary of the AEU. SACU 'tapped into a deep well of interest in Chinese culture and sympathy for China’s international isolation that extended beyond the British Left'.〔Buchanan, Tom (2012). East Wind: China and the British Left, 1925-1976, Oxford University Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-19-957033-1.〕 In a letter announcing its inauguration, Trevor-Roper, together with historian Arnold J. Toynbee and composer Benjamin Britten, said "This society is being formed to foster mutual comprehension between Britain and China in many different fields."〔(British Move: Operation Pro-China ). ''Montreal Gazette''. p. 39. 18 May 1965.〕 On 15 May 1965 the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding held its inaugural meeting at Church House, Westminster, which was attended by more than 1,000 people.〔("Ties with Peking Sought in Britain; Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding Formed" ) . ''The New York Times''. 15 May 1965. Retrieved 6 September 2010.〕 Needham, the organisation's first chairman and president, gave an address. His main point was that the British and Chinese must come to know each other better. However, since China is not simply a different country but a basically different civilisation this requires a 'genuine effort towards understanding'. Having a friendly frame of mind to start with, he said, was 'essential to the objective of getting to know China better and the achievement of this would be a great contribution to the development of world peace and international comprehension'.〔"'SACU: a genuine efforts towards understanding' says Needham". A Summary of the speech given by Dr Joseph Needham, FRS, Fellow and President of Caius College Cambridge, SACU News. (undated, circa October 1965)〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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