There has long been a history of integration amongst the UK and China reinforced by emigration between the two countries. Indeed, the UK is home to the oldest Chinese expat community in Europe with the first Chinese coming to UK city ports such as Liverpool in the 19th century. Chinese communities quickly expanded and flourished in the UK and are now considered one of the most successful migrant groups to integrate with British society.
The love affair is certainly not one way as the British hunger for Chinese food, culture, history and opportunity is arguably now more insatiable than ever. This fascination with the East does not stay within the borders of Britain; many UK nationals now set off on a journey of over 5000 miles to seek a new life in the land of the dragon. According to the United Nations in 2015 there were more than 12,600 British Nationals living on mainland China (with another 17,500 living in the special administrative region of Hong Kong).
You may think being one of only 30,000 Brits in a country of 1.4 billion Chinese is like being a needle in a haystack, and you would be forgiven for that assumption. Of course you can find yourself a role in a small community far from a big city where you may be the only foreigner for quite a few miles. There are enormous advantages to this for learning language and culture, but it can be a lonely existence at times. This is why you find many expats are concentrated in larger cities, not only for bigger salaries but for the company and opportunity that comes from living in centres with a lively mix of foreign nationals and native Chinese.
Many people come to China to experience a new way of life or to immerse themselves in a totally different culture, and I encourage that, but I would like to provide some nuggets of advice to help fellow Brits (and indeed anyone who is interested) in their transition into Chinese society.
1) News and Information (Before you come!) The British government features helpful information on their official website which is updated regularly. It is useful to check the travel site if you have family coming to visit you.
Select here for advice on travelling to China https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china or click here for advice on living in China https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-china
2) Home Comforts (For when you get here!)
Home comforts have helped me a lot in surviving my first year in China. Of course you want to reduce your dependence on imports and things from home whilst you are travelling, indeed thats why many Brits leave home, yet sometimes you just cant beat a good British cuppa to wash down Cadburys dairy milkenter TaoBao.
Taobao is a massive online market place and I would argue that getting set up on this platform is a must for any foreigner in China, the value for money and availability of products if astonishing. Yes, you can buy ANYTHING on here C from Marmite to Oxo cubes, Heinz Beans to Walkers, Yorkshire Tea to India Pale Alenot necessarily everyday essentials but they really help on those days when home seems that little bit further away.
It took me an evening, half a bottle of wine and the help of translation software to set up my own account on Taobao, but an experienced expat or a Chinese friend will have you good to go in minutes if you prefer the quicker option. You can link your Chinese debit card but international cards are also an option.
Many who read this will be based in Jiangsu province and so you will find many stores from home within easy reach. Walmart have many stores around which stock a large range of ASDA Chosen By You home brand products including British milk, chocolate raisins, salt and vinegar crisps, wholewheat pasta, breakfast cereal to name just a few.
The UK high street favourite Tesco have their own stores in China (Vanguard is another retailer which ranges many Tesco products too) and Ole is an international supermarket found in many large cities with a huge range of British imports and fantastic quality meat, although it is a little expensive.
Being near Shanghai presents many opportunities to indulge British quirks C Pies and English Breakfasts are available at Pie Society, Sunday Roasts at Mr Harrys restaurant or Bangers and Mash at Badboy Bangers. You can even get great fish and chips at The Sailors or GloLondon. Search for these venues on Google (using a VPN of course) via Baidu (a Chinese search engine) and WeChat.
3) Meeting Other Brits (Laying the foundations for success)
WeChat is a powerful tool in China, and you can use it to meet many people including fellow Brits. There are many WeChat groups for expats in China, many are organised into countries. If you search PandaOfficialGuides on WeChat and message the admin, he will add you to the country group you request. I am currently in the British Expat group and have found it useful for finding links to TV shows from home to meeting British bakers in China who make and sell British products all over the country. If you extend your search you can often find expat groups specific to your own city.
In Wux for example there is the Wuxi International Club which hosts great social events whilst supporting local communities and charities, a rewarding way to engage with other internationals in the city.
China Wire is a helpful news group aimed at expats delving into food, travel and learning Chinese. You can join the group on WeChat by scanning the QR code in the picture. ChinaWire started a daily Mandarin course back in 2015 and you can still download the past history recordings C each day they put up a new recording with pinyin and Chinese translation exploring slang, characters and culture.
Another great website for expats is the Internations site found here https://www.internations.org/china-expats/british
The following quotation is taken directly from the Internations site. Would you like to get in touch with other Brits in China? Are you in need of help and advice from your British compatriots? Or would you like to join other British expats on an excursion to discover sights and landmarksit is simple to sign up, just enter your email address at the above link to receive regular updates.
These are just a few ways to feel close to home whilst on the other side of the globe. However if you embrace China it will embrace you and perhaps that is the true answer to adjusting, yet it always helps to have a cup of English tea and a chat with someone in the same boat as yourself. | 
