New Books in History Kerry Brown, "The Great Reversal: Britain, China and the 400-Year Contest for Power" (Yale UP, 2024)
Jan 6, 2026
In this engaging discussion, Kerry Brown, a prominent Chinese studies professor, explores four centuries of Britain-China relations from Queen Elizabeth I's failed attempts to establish trade to the more complex dynamics of the 19th century. He highlights the significance of the East India Company and the Macartney embassy, alongside the intriguing tale of tea 'intellectual property' theft by Robert Fortune. Brown also delves into Britain's evolving relationship with China post-1949, emphasizing the striking shift of power favoring a rapidly rising China.
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Elizabeth I’s Failed Letters
- Elizabeth I sent letters to the Wan Li Emperor asking for trade but none arrived because the ships never reached China.
- Kerry Brown frames this failed mission as the first formal British attempt to contact China four centuries ago.
China Was A Sidelined Opportunity
- The East India Company focused primarily on India and treated China as a distant sideshow in the 17th century.
- Britain's first sustained China foothold developed via posts in Japan and sporadic trading in Fujian and Xiamen later in the 18th century.
The McCartney Embassy’s Dual Outcome
- Lord Macartney led a 1792–93 embassy combining diplomats, artists, and scientists to present a polished British image to China.
- The mission failed to secure political goals but produced seminal knowledge about China.
