100 objects to help us get to know each other

The British Museum takes its trailblazing exhibition to China to celebrate our interconnected cultures

When people exchange goods, they exchange ideas. Trade brings us not just new products, but new discoveries, ways of thinking and understanding the world around us. Commerce and culture go hand in hand. So as the UK and China broaden and develop their commercial ties it’s natural that the cultural links between the two countries should also grow closer and stronger.

The history of Britain is the history of its engagement with the world. That is why Shakespeare, writing for a London that was fascinated by the new knowledge and exotic things brought back by Drake and Raleigh, called his theatre The Globe. It is also why the UK’s public collections are unequalled in their scope – the whole world gathered together. The British Museum has always been a global museum, telling not only the story of the UK, but also aiming to present the world to the world and share its collections with it. Parliament founded it, the world’s first national museum, with a simple purpose – to create a new kind of citizen – a global citizen. It was based on a simple truth: if you are going to trade with people, you need to understand them, to know how they see the world and how they see you. In 1753, when the British Museum was founded, China was the most significant economy in the world. Then, as now, it was essential for the two countries to know more about each other.

That’s why we’re in Beijing today, ahead of the yearly summit known as the “UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue”. It’s why £6 million of Treasury funding is being announced for a wide-ranging series of cultural projects, which will see some of the UK’s pre-eminent institutions, from the Tate to the RSC and the British Library, sharing objects, exhibitions and expertise with China. Sherlock Holmes will jostle with works by Gainsborough, the Lewis Chessmen with Shylock, to showcase the very best of British culture to Chinese audiences. Related online resources in Mandarin will also be created allowing far wider access to these landmarks of British literature.

The new funding will allow the British Museum to tour the A History

of the World in 100 Objects exhibition, based on the radio series that so many Britons enjoyed, and bring the artefacts to China. The book that accompanied the series has been translated into both simplified and complex Chinese, showing the strides already achieved in enabling the histories of these objects to be shared with the widest of audiences.

With this announcement we’re now going further and bringing the British Museum’s collection right to China’s doorstep. So far, more than 640,000 people have had the chance to view the exhibition around the world as it tours from Abu Dhabi to Australia, and now many more will have the chance in China. The exhibition will be seen at the National Museum of China in Beijing, and in Shanghai.

The latest example of the long and happy friendship between the British Museum and Chinese museums, the exhibition traces the shared concerns and achievements of mankind over nearly two million years, a story in which China has always played a central role. There are more Chinese objects in the 100 than from any other country, encompassing artefacts which clearly demonstrate our shared and interlinked humanity, such as a Chinese bronze bell that represents Confucius’ ideas of harmony, right up to those representing the modern day, such as an HSBC credit card – an example not just of modern technology, but an object that also highlights the global nature of modern economies and finance.

There’s an economic goal behind this – strengthening ties between Britain and China will bring more valuable investment and thousands of Chinese tourists to our country. Our partnership for growth, reform and innovation is already helping to deliver record levels of investment and trade in both directions, but there is so much more we can do. That’s why in this flagship year of UK-China relations – with the first ever UK-China year of cultural exchange – we are exploring new opportunities to open up new markets to benefit both economies and people.

Ultimately, however, it’s about more than pounds and renminbi. It’s in our literature, theatre, our paintings and our museums, that we express who we are as a country.

Our two cultures continue to inspire innovation and creativity, and with the announcements we’re making this week, audiences both in Britain and China will enjoy many opportunities to explore what this means not just in the 21st century but also gain insights into our rich histories.

This is therefore a unique opportunity further to deepen and strengthen the UK’s existing relationship with China, building on long-standing foundations of mutual respect and appreciation. Britain and China are two nations whose cultures have done so much to shape the world. Now let us do more to shape our understanding of each other.