CHINA-UK relations, and a shared love of porcelain, were chewed over during dinner.
In the week that prime minister Kier Starmer, called for “a strong China-UK relationship” when he met China’s president, Xi Jinping, at the G20 Summit, a fundraising dinner in Worcester’s medieval College Hall, encouraged wider UK-China conversations and understanding.
In aid of the Museum of Royal Worcester, Worcestershire Chinese Association and educational charity, Engage with China, the dinner brought together distinguished members of the Worcestershire and Chinese communities.
A hundred guests were enlightened and entertained on the power of porcelain over the centuries.
Guests heard from porcelain experts about how Worcester and Jingdezhen (the birthplace of porcelain) in China, are inextricably linked through their mutual history of porcelain production – both inspiring the other in terms of the development of utility, shapes and design.
One of the keynote speakers, Jian Jun Xi, said: “As an export porcelain collector and artist, I was fascinated by the number of people from Worcester who attended the event. I was also deeply impressed to learn about Dr John Wall and the Museum of Royal Worcester, which showcases the high-quality porcelain production pioneered in England.
“Exploring the 200-year history connected to Dr John Wall’s legacy with my fellow speaker and antiques expert, Ben Cooper, was truly inspiring. I would love to see Jingdezhen and Worcester come together to celebrate the shared history and craftsmanship of these two cities, both renowned for their porcelain-making traditions.”
The event also featured an auction with prizes including a Qing dynasty plate donated by Jian Jun Xi from his personal collection.
A grand total of £10,000 was raised to support the work of the partner organisations.
