The Ambassador from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China is the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

's foremost diplomatic representative

Diplomat

A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...

 in the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

, and in charge of the UK's diplomatic mission

Diplomatic mission

A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...

 in China. The official title is Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China.

The UK recognized the People's Republic of China in 1950, although the PRC did not agree to the exchange of ambassadors until 1972. Prior to this, the United Kingdom had sent Ministers to the Qing Empire and variously Ministers and Ambassadors to the Republic of China

Republic of China

The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

. The Embassy offices have been located in Peking (Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

), Nanking (Nanjing

Nanjing

' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...

), or both.

Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary to Imperial China (during the First Opium War

First Opium War

The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...

)

Name	Tenure Begin	Tenure End	British Monarch	Chinese Monarch
Sir George Elliot George Elliot (1784–1863) Admiral Sir George Elliot, KCB , was a Royal Navy officer who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and the First Opium War....	February 1840	November 1840	Queen Victoria	Daoguang Emperor Daoguang Emperor The Daoguang Emperor was the eighth emperor of the Manchurian Qing dynasty and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850.-Early years:...
Sir Charles Elliot Charles Elliot Sir Charles Elliot, KCB , was a British naval officer, diplomat, and colonial administrator. He became the first administrator of Hong Kong in 1841 while serving as both Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China...	November 1840	12 August 1841

Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary to Imperial China (held by the Governor of Hong Kong

Governor of Hong Kong

The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...

)

Name	Tenure Begin	Tenure End	British Monarch	Chinese Monarch
Sir Henry Pottinger	12 August 1841	8 May 1844	Queen Victoria	Daoguang Emperor Daoguang Emperor The Daoguang Emperor was the eighth emperor of the Manchurian Qing dynasty and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850.-Early years:...
Sir John Francis Davis John Francis Davis Sir John Francis Davis, 1st Baronet KCB was a British diplomat, Sinologist, and the 2nd Governor of Hong Kong. He was the son of Samuel Davis and nephew to William Thomas Mercer .-Early career:John Davis was appointed writer in East India Company's factory at Canton in 1813...	8 May 1844	18 March 1848
Sir Samuel George Bonham	18 March 1848	1851
Sir John Bowring John Bowring Sir John Bowring, KCB was an English political economist, traveller, miscellaneous writer, polyglot, and the 4th Governor of Hong Kong.- Early life :...	20 December 1853	17 April 1857		Xianfeng Emperor Xianfeng Emperor The Xianfeng Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro I Ju, was the ninth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861.-Family and his early years:...

Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary to Imperial China

Name	Tenure Begin	Tenure End	British Monarch	Chinese Monarch
Sir James Bruce James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin Sir James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, KT, GCB, PC , was a British colonial administrator and diplomat...	1857	1860	Queen Victoria	Xianfeng Emperor Xianfeng Emperor The Xianfeng Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro I Ju, was the ninth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861.-Family and his early years:...
Sir Frederick Bruce Frederick Wright-Bruce Sir Frederick Wright-Bruce, GCB was a British diplomat.Frederick Bruce was the youngest of the three sons of Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, and his second wife Elizabeth, youngest daughter of James Townshend Oswald of Dunnikier, Fife. He was born at Bromhall, Fife, on 14 April 1814, and on 9 Feb...	7 November 1860	19 June 1864
Sir Thomas Francis Wade Thomas Francis Wade Sir Thomas Francis Wade, GCMG, KCB , was a British diplomat and Sinologist who produced a syllabary in 1859 that was later amended, extended and converted into the Wade-Giles romanization for Mandarin Chinese by Herbert Giles in 1892...	19 June 1864	7 December 1865		Tongzhi Emperor Tongzhi Emperor The Tongzhi Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro Dzai Šun, was the tenth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1861 to 1875. His reign, which effectively lasted through his adolescence, was largely overshadowed by the rule of his mother, the Empress...
Sir Rutherford Alcock Rutherford Alcock Sir Rutherford Alcock KCB was the first British diplomatic representative to live in Japan.-Early life:Alcock was the son of the physician, Dr. Thomas Alcock, who practised at Ealing, near London. As he grew up, Alcock followed his father into the medical profession...	7 December 1865	1 November 1869
Hugh Fraser	1 November 1869	28 November 1869
Sir Thomas Wade Thomas Francis Wade Sir Thomas Francis Wade, GCMG, KCB , was a British diplomat and Sinologist who produced a syllabary in 1859 that was later amended, extended and converted into the Wade-Giles romanization for Mandarin Chinese by Herbert Giles in 1892...	28 November 1869	6 November 1876
Hugh Fraser	6 November 1876	29 June 1879		Guangxu Emperor Guangxu Emperor The Guangxu Emperor , born Zaitian of the Aisin-Gioro clan, was the eleventh emperor of the Manchurian Qing Dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi's influence, only from 1889 to 1898...
Sir Thomas Wade Thomas Francis Wade Sir Thomas Francis Wade, GCMG, KCB , was a British diplomat and Sinologist who produced a syllabary in 1859 that was later amended, extended and converted into the Wade-Giles romanization for Mandarin Chinese by Herbert Giles in 1892...	29 June 1879	14 August 1882
Thomas George Grosvenor	14 August 1882	17 September 1883
Sir Harry Parkes Harry Smith Parkes Sir Harry Smith Parkes was a 19th century British diplomat who worked mainly in China and Japan...	28 September 1883	22 March 1885
Sir Nicholas Robert O'Conor	22 March 1885	15 June 1886
Sir John Walsham	15 June 1886	28 September 1892
William Nelthorpe Beauclerk	28 September 1892	19 November 1892
Sir Nicholas Robert O'Conor	19 November 1892	September 1895
William Nelthorpe Beauclerk	September 1895	24 April 1896
Sir Claude Maxwell MacDonald Claude Maxwell MacDonald Colonel Sir Claude Maxwell MacDonald GCMG GCVO KCB PC was a British diplomat, best known for his service in China and Japan.-Biography:...	24 April 1896	25 October 1900
Sir Ernest Satow Ernest Mason Satow Sir Ernest Mason Satow PC, GCMG, , known in Japan as "" , known in China as "薩道義" or "萨道义", was a British scholar, diplomat and Japanologist....	25 October 1900	1906	Edward VII
R. G. Townley	3 December 1902	21 August 1903
Sir John Newell Jordan	19 September 1906	12 March 1910
William Grenfell Max-Muller	12 March 1910	28 November 1910		Xuantong Emperor

Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary to the Republic of China

Name	Tenure Begin	Tenure End	British Monarch	Chinese President
Sir John Newell Jordan	28 November 1910	1 March 1920	George V George V George V was king of the United Kingdom and its dominions from 1910 to 1936.George V or similar terms may also refer to:-People:* George V of Georgia * George V of Imereti * George V of Hanover...	Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China... →Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived... →Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong was a Chinese general and political figure during the Qing dynasty and the republican era. He was twice president of the Republic of China.- Early history :... →Feng Guozhang Feng Guozhang Féng Guózhāng, was a key Beiyang Army general and politician in early republican China. He held the office of Vice-President and then President of the Republic of China... →Xu Shichang
Sir Beilby Francis Alston	1 March 1920	1922		Xu Shichang→Zhou Ziqi Zhou Ziqi Zhōu Zìqí 周自齊 , was a Chinese politician in the late Qing dynasty and early republican period. He was a member of the Communications Clique.-Biography:... →Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong was a Chinese general and political figure during the Qing dynasty and the republican era. He was twice president of the Republic of China.- Early history :...
Robert Henry Clive Robert Clive (diplomat) Sir Robert Henry Clive GCMG, PC , was a British diplomat.-Early life:Clive was the son of Charles Meysey Bolton Clive and the great-grandson of Edward Clive. His mother was Lady Katherine Elizabeth Mary Julia, daughter of William Feilding, 7th Earl of Denbigh. He was educated at Haileybury College...	1922	1922
Sir James Ronald Macleay	1922	20 December 1926		Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong was a Chinese general and political figure during the Qing dynasty and the republican era. He was twice president of the Republic of China.- Early history :... →Gao Lingwei Gao Lingwei Gāo Língwèi was a Chinese politician during the late Qing dynasty and the Republic of China.A Tianjin native, he was appointed to Hubei where he held many offices relating to finance and education including a stint as superintendent of the provincial military academy... →Cao Kun Cao Kun |-... →Huang Fu Huang Fu Huáng Fú was a general and politician in early republican China. He was born in Hangzhou.-Biography:Huang studied at Zhejiang Military College and Qiushi Academy , later went to Japan. Huang came in contact with the Revolutionary Alliance while studying in a military academy in the Empire of Japan... →Duan Qirui Duan Qirui Duan Qirui was a Chinese warlord and politician, commander in the Beiyang Army, and the Provisional Chief Executive of Republic of China from November 24, 1924 to April 20, 1926. He was arguably the most powerful man in China from 1916 to 1920.- Early life :Born in Hefei as Duan Qirui , his... →Hu Weide Hu Weide rightHú Wéidé , , was a Chinese politician and diplomat during the Qing dynasty and the Republic of China.-Biography:... →Yan Huiqing Yan Huiqing Yan Huiqing Yan Huiqing Yan Huiqing (Wade-Giles: Yen Hui-Ching, (also known as W.W. Yen) 顏惠慶 (1877-1950) was a Chinese writer, politician, and diplomat from Shanghai.-Biography:... →Du Xigui Du Xigui Du Xigui was a Chinese admiral during the warlord era.-Biography:Born in Fuzhou, he graduated from Nanjing's naval college in 1902. In 1922, he was made chief of the navy and helped the Zhili clique defeat Zhang Zuolin. In the spring of 1923, Shanghai's fleet rebelled and Du took responsibility... →Wellington Koo Wellington Koo Koo Vi Kyuin or Ku Wei-chün , often known by the Western name V.K. Wellington Koo, was a prominent diplomat under the Republic of China, representative to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Ambassador to France, Great Britain, and the United States; participant in founding the League of Nations...
Sir Miles Wedderburn Lampson	20 December 1926	3 September 1933		Wellington Koo Wellington Koo Koo Vi Kyuin or Ku Wei-chün , often known by the Western name V.K. Wellington Koo, was a prominent diplomat under the Republic of China, representative to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Ambassador to France, Great Britain, and the United States; participant in founding the League of Nations... →Zhang Zuolin Zhang Zuolin Zhang Zuolin was the warlord of Manchuria from 1916 to 1928 . He successfully invaded China proper in October 1924 in the Second Zhili-Fengtian War. He gained control of Peking, including China's internationally recognized government, in April 1926... →Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin.... →Lin Sen Lin Sen Lin Sen , courtesy name Zichao , sobriquet Changren , was President of the National Government of the Republic of China from 1931 until his death.-Early life:...
E. M. B. Ingram	5 May 1932	3 September 1933		Lin Sen Lin Sen Lin Sen , courtesy name Zichao , sobriquet Changren , was President of the National Government of the Republic of China from 1931 until his death.-Early life:...
Sir Alexander Cadogan	3 September 1933	19 May 1935

Ambassadors to the Republic of China

Name	Tenure Begin	Tenure End	British Monarch	Chinese President
Sir Alexander Cadogan	15 June 1935	5 April 1936	George V George V George V was king of the United Kingdom and its dominions from 1910 to 1936.George V or similar terms may also refer to:-People:* George V of Georgia * George V of Imereti * George V of Hanover...	Lin Sen Lin Sen Lin Sen , courtesy name Zichao , sobriquet Changren , was President of the National Government of the Republic of China from 1931 until his death.-Early life:...
Sir Robert George Howe	5 April 1936	2 September 1936	Edward VIII
Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen Sir Hughe Montgomery Knatchbull-Hugessen KCMG was a British diplomat, civil servant and author.-Background and education:...	23 September 1936	20 December 1937
The Rt Hon. Lord Inverchapel	23 September 1936	16 January 1942	George VI
Sir Horace James Seymour Horace James Seymour Sir Horace James Seymour GCMG CVO was a British diplomat, Ambassador to China from 1942 to 1946.-Early life and family:The elder son of Hugh Francis Seymour and the grandson of Col...	16 January 1942	23 May 1946
Sir Ralph Clarmont Skrine Stevenson Ralph Stevenson Sir Ralph Clarmont Skrine Stevenson, GCMG, MLC, CP was a British diplomat.In 1943, he was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a post he held until 1946. Stevenson was Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt from 1950 to...	23 May 1946	1948		Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
Sir Lionel Henry Lamb	1948	1948

Ambassadors to the People's Republic of China

Name	Tenure Begin	Tenure End	British Monarch	Paramount leader
Sir John Colville Hutchinson	6 January 1950	1953	George VI	Mao Zedong Mao Zedong Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
The Rt Hon. Lord Trevelyan Humphrey Trevelyan Humphrey Trevelyan, Baron Trevelyan, KG, GCMG, CIE, OBE was a British diplomat and author.Trevelyan was a son of Reverend George Trevelyan, grandson of the Venerable George Trevelyan, Archdeacon of Taunton, third son of Sir John Trevelyan, 4th Baronet. He was educated at Lancing and Jesus College,...	1953	1955	Elizabeth II
Sir Con O'Neill Con O'Neill (diplomat) Sir Con O'Neill, , was a British civil servant and diplomat. He led the British delegation which negotiated the country's entry to the European Economic Community....	13 July 1955	26 June 1957
Sir Archibald Duncan Wilson	9 September 1957	23 July 1959
Sir Michael Stewart	16 September 1959	11 April 1962
Sir Terence Willcocks Garvey :ru:Гарви, Теренс	9 July 1962	16 April 1965
Sir Donald Hopson	14 May 1965	August 1968
Sir Percy Cradock Percy Cradock Sir Percy Cradock, GCMG was a British diplomat, civil servant and sinologist who served as British Ambassador to the People's Republic of China from 1978 to 1983, playing a significant role in the Sino-British negotiations which led up to the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in...	August 1968	February 1969
John Denson	1969	18 November 1971
Sir John Addis	26 January 1972	17 June 1974
Sir Edward Youde Edward Youde Sir Edward Youde GCMG, GCVO, MBE was a British administrator, diplomat and Sinologist. He served as Governor of Hong Kong between 20 May 1982 and 5 December 1986.-Early years:...	29 August 1974	1978
Sir Percy Cradock Percy Cradock Sir Percy Cradock, GCMG was a British diplomat, civil servant and sinologist who served as British Ambassador to the People's Republic of China from 1978 to 1983, playing a significant role in the Sino-British negotiations which led up to the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in...	15 June 1978	1984		Hua Guofeng Hua Guofeng Su Zhu, better known by the nom de guerre Hua Guofeng , was Mao Zedong's designated successor as the Paramount Leader of the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China. Upon Zhou Enlai's death in 1976, he succeeded Zhou as the second Premier of the People's Republic of China...
Sir Richard Evans	23 January 1984	1988		Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
Sir Alan Donald Alan Ewen Donald Sir Alan Ewen Donald is a career British diplomat and former British Ambassador.-Background:He was born on 5 May 1931; 2nd son of Robert Thomson Donald and Louise Turner. He married in 1958 to Janet Hilary Therese Blood. They have four sons.He attended Aberdeen Grammar School and Fettes College,...	26 May 1988	1991
Sir Robin McLaren Robin McLaren Sir Robin John Taylor McLaren KCMG was a British diplomat.McLaren was educated at Ardingly College and St John's College, Cambridge. He was until recently Chairman of Governors at Ardingly College, where the McLaren Library is named after him. He served in the Royal Navy from 1953 to 1955, and...	20 June 1991	1994
Sir Leonard Appleyard	24 September 1994	1997		Jiang Zemin Jiang Zemin Jiang Zemin is a former Chinese politician, who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as President of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 2003, and as Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2005...
Sir Anthony Galsworthy Anthony Galsworthy Sir Anthony Charles Galsworthy KCMG is a retired British diplomat and amateur naturalist. He currently works for Bekaert .He is the son of Arthur Galsworthy...	29 December 1997	2002
Sir Christopher Hum Christopher Hum Sir Christopher Owen Hum KCMG is the 41st Master of Gonville and Caius College, one of the oldest colleges of the University of Cambridge. He has held this post since his installation on 16 January 2006, prior to which he was Her Majesty's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China...	4 April 2002	2006
Sir William Ehrman William Ehrman Sir William Ehrman, KCMG is a British civil servant and former Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee.Ehrman was educated at Eton College and graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge with a first class degree in Mandarin Chinese....	15 March 2006	2010		Hu Jintao Hu Jintao Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
Sebastian Wood	3 March 2010

External links

• British Ambassador to China