Abstract
Due to its commercial and trade interests, the British empire attached great importance to the China market and had built up unprecedented contacts with the Qing empire since the late eighteen century. Among the British who visited China, George Thomas Staunton (1781-1859), who accompanied the Ambassador Extraordinary George Macartney (1737-1806) to China when he was twelve years old, continued to participate in number Anglo-Chinese issues, including diplomatic negotiations as a vice-ambassador, free trade disputes as an officer of the British East India Company, and opium selling in China as a member of parliament, all of which had great impact on Anglo-Chinese relations. His life therefore closely corresponds to the sum of Anglo-Chinese relations before the Opium War. This article explores how he changed his view of the Qing empire and evaluates his influence on Britain’s China policy. It also discusses how he accommodated himself to different concepts of civilization and cultural traditions between China and Britain.