Embassy of the United Kingdom, Beijing
| British Embassy, Beijing | |
|---|---|
|
The Embassy building in Beijing | |
| Location |
 Beijing, China |
| Address |
11 Guang Hua Lu, Jian Guo Men Wai, 100600 Beijing, China |
| Ambassador | Barbara Woodward |
| Website | British Embassy, Beijing |
The Embassy of the United Kingdom in Beijing is the chief diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in the People's Republic of China. It is one of Britain's largest overseas Embassies.[1] It is located at 11 Guang Hua Lu, in the Chaoyang District. The current British Ambassador to China is Barbara Woodward.[2]
History
The old British legation was established on 26 March 1861 in the former palace of Duke I-liang and Sir Frederick Bruce became the first “Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary” to Imperial China to reside in Beijing. In 1959 however the Chinese authorities required the British to vacate their location as they wanted to redevelop the land for use as the Supreme People's Court. In January 1959 the British were informed that "the centre of Peking was scheduled for reconstruction and that the area occupied by the British Legation was required for the site of a large new building for the Judicial Executive. The staff of the Legation was therefore requested to move out of their quarters by May 31st 1959”.[3]
In exchange for vacating their old premise in 1959, the Chinese authorities built and offered the British their current Embassy and Residence in the Diplomatic District. The embassy consists of two two-storey houses set in walled gardens.[3]
Other locations
Outside Beijing, there are also British Consulates General in Guangzhou, Chongqing and Shanghai where the senior officer is known as the Consul-General.[2] There is also a British Consulate-General in Hong Kong (the largest British consulate-general in the world), responsible for maintaining British ties with Hong Kong[4] and Macao.[5] However, due to Hong Kong's unique status, the consul-general reports directly to the Foreign Office, instead of going through the British Embassy in Beijing.[6]
The Embassy also represents the British Overseas Territories in China.
See also
- China-United Kingdom relations
- List of diplomatic missions in China
- List of Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to China
References
- ↑ "Our embassy". Government Internet Archive. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "British Embassy Beijing". FCO.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The Embassy and milestones". Government Internet Archive. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ↑ UK in Hong Kong - the British Consulate-General Hong Kong and Macao
- ↑ UK in Macao
- ↑ Hong Kong Economic Journal, 3 July 2007, Page 34.
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