On 21 February 2026, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang and his wife Counsellor Hua Mei hosted a Spring Festival reception for the families of Lisbon Maru survivors and friends from the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU). Major (Ret’d) Brian Finch, who has long been dedicated to collecting historical materials relating to the Lisbon Maru rescue, Mr Anthony Jones, Chairman of the Lisbon Maru Memorial Association (LiMMA), Ms Zoe Reed, Chair Emerita of SACU, and Mr Peter Jarvis, Chair Designate of SACU and grandnephew of George Hogg, addressed the event. More than 100 guests, including family members of British POWs aboard the Lisbon Maru and representatives of SACU, were present.
In his remarks, Ambassador Zheng extended festive greetings and best wishes for the Year of the Horse to the guests, and expressed appreciation to LiMMA and SACU for the great deal of work they have done over the past year to preserve the shared memories and promote people-to-people exchanges and friendship between China and the UK.
He briefed the guests on the achievements China made in economic and social development last year, and noted that in the opening year of its 15th Five-Year Plan, China will remain committed to its development goals and continue pursuing high-quality development to enhance the Chinese people’s sense of gain, happiness and security. China will also continue to share opportunities and expand cooperation with other countries, in a bid to provide stability and positive energy to a turbulent world.
Ambassador Zheng also noted that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent visit to China had produced fruitful outcomes. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Starmer reached important consensus on developing a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the UK, pointing the way forward for bilateral relations. Government agencies, institutions and businesses of both countries signed more than 20 cooperation agreements covering a wide range of areas, including trade and investment, financial services, agriculture and food, market regulation, public health and climate change. China has cut tariffs on UK whisky from 10% to 5%, and implemented, from 17 February, a unilateral visa-free policy for UK citizens travelling to China. The development of China-UK relations will continue to bring tangible benefits to the people of both countries.
Ambassador Zheng recalled the touching stories of the heroic rescue of British POWs from the Lisbon Maru by Zhoushan fishermen, and of the young Briton George Hogg who supported the Chinese people during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. He pointed out that the world is undergoing the most profound and complex changes since World War II. Acts of unilateralism and bullying are seriously undermining the international order, and militarism has shown a dangerous tendency of resurgence. As major victorious countries of World War II, founding members of the UN, and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and the UK should strengthen cooperation to firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core and to safeguard the outcomes of World War II and the post-war international order. He called on people from all sectors in both countries to remember history, carry forward the friendship, strengthen exchanges, and deepen cooperation, thus making new contributions to the steady and sustained development of China-UK relations.
The British guests congratulated China on its remarkable achievements in economic and social development and the positive progress in UK-China relations. They expressed their readiness to carry forward the historical friendship between the British and Chinese people, enhance UK-China understanding and friendship, and contribute to the sound and steady development of UK-China relations.
Artists from Zhejiang and Shaanxi provinces presented a selection of performances, including “Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers”, face-changing, the Ansai waist drum dance, and a suona solo. The Embassy choir performed well-known songs such as “One Shared Song” and “Joyful Chinese New Year”. The performances won warm applause and cheers. The guests renewed friendships and shared their experiences of visiting China in the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival.
