Next Stop — Guiyang!
Reposted and translated from the official WeChat account of the British Consulate-General in Chongqing
On 13 November 2025, the London Underground arrived in Guiyang!
Through the lens of David, a passionate football fan and proud new resident of Guiyang, let’s take a look at what happened…
It turned out to be the British Consulate’s birthday party — now celebrated in Guiyang!
The ties between the United Kingdom and Guizhou go back more than eighty years.
During the Second World War, British medical professionals — including the renowned Dr. Hilda Selwyn-Clarke — joined the international medical aid team stationed in Guiyang. Working alongside their Chinese colleagues, they faced hardship together and forged lasting friendships that have become a treasured part of our shared history.
On the morning of 13 November, Consul-General Anthony Preston once again visited Dr. Hilda Selwyn-Clarke’s grave to pay tribute and honour all those who gave their lives for peace.
Today, the connection between the UK and Guizhou is stronger than ever. Our cooperation spans a wide range of fields — education, ecological conservation, digital development, brewing, agriculture, healthcare, museum exchanges, and even street music events. There’s also the exciting collaboration between the Premier League and Guizhou’s Village Super League (Cun Chao) — a perfect symbol of the energy and mutual understanding that characterise UK–Guizhou ties.
Education has always been at the heart of our partnership. China is the UK’s largest transnational education partner, with 88,000 students nationwide earning British degrees through joint programmes. Guizhou plays an active role in this collaboration: five officially approved UK–China degree programmes enable local students to gain British university qualifications without leaving home.
Building on this foundation, the UK–Guizhou Higher Education Partnership Forum was successfully held in London in April 2024, resulting in the signing of seven memoranda of understanding between universities — a milestone in strengthening institutional cooperation in education.
On 13 November, the Guizhou–UK Higher Education Exchange Meeting, co-hosted by the Guizhou Provincial Department of Education and the British Council, brought together nine British universities and ten Guizhou universities, sparking new academic partnerships and deeper dialogue.
Guizhou has also become a vibrant hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, home to global tech enterprises such as Hankase. In September, Consul-General Li Yao attended Hankase’s showcase event in Liverpool’s Chinatown to show support. The UK continues to welcome innovative companies and is committed to helping them thrive.
Meanwhile, the UK and Guizhou have cooperated in the field of ecology for more than a decade, working together on conservation, biodiversity, education, and national park development. Through ongoing dialogue at the Eco Forum Global Guiyang, both sides continue to promote a greener, more resilient future.
All of these achievements are made possible by the support of both national leaders.
Over the past year, UK–China relations have seen substantial progress. The two countries’ leaders met during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, followed by a series of high-level exchanges and visits covering a broad range of important topics.
These interactions are not merely symbolic; they represent practical cooperation to address shared challenges — from sustainable prosperity and climate change to global security. They demonstrate a mutual commitment to working together where our efforts can make a positive difference.
We need a long-term, stable, and strategic UK–China relationship, one that allows for open and honest dialogue. In today’s increasingly complex and turbulent world, we share both responsibilities and global interests — and many of the challenges we face cannot be solved by any one country alone.
At the reception, Consul-General Anthony Preston reflected:
“As we consider the challenges and opportunities before us, let us remember the wisdom of Chinese philosopher Wang Yangming: ‘Knowledge is the beginning of action, and action is the completion of knowledge.’
Guided by this spirit, may we move forward together — with wisdom, resilience, and friendship — towards a future of greater peace and prosperity.”