This was no
recent interest. Exactly fifty years ago, Percy had been one of the first
to appreciate the significance of the foundation of the People's Republic
of China and the potential for both its economy and its trade with the
west. He helped to organise the 1954 "Icebreaker Mission", which made the
first breach in the wall of the embargo and blockade that had been erected
against the New China.
Over the next decades, Percy played a leading role in the British
Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the 48 Group of
British Traders with China (today the 48 Group Club), promoting not only
trade, but cultural exchange, friendship and governmental level
exchanges. From the early 1950s, this work brought him into close and
fruitful contacts with such giants of the Labour Party as Harold Wilson.
He brought his training as an economist and
his precise, analytical mind to the production of the "China Trade and
Economic Newsletter", which for many years was the monthly "Bible" for
any serious China trader.
Percy was a man for all seasons, a lover of
music, and a stalwart of the Oxford and Cambridge Music Club as much as
of LFIG or the 48 Group.
On Tuesday May 11th, Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao, on an official visit to the UK, made a special point of meeting
with Percy, together with some of his close friends and colleagues, and
thanked him for all his work to promote trade and better undertstanding
with China. Wen Jiabao said he was honoured to meet such an
"Icebreaker". Percy presented the Chinese Premier with a signed copy of
the Chinese language edition of his acclaimed book on the history of
Sino-UK trade.
Frail as he was, we did not expect that this
would be his swansong. Nevertheles, it was a fitting one. Percy believed
that trade, development and peace were an inseperable trinity and one
that the Labour Party should believe in and fight for. He also believed
that everyone should have the right to enjoy and appreciate fine music
and at least some of the good things in life. To coin an old saying, "he
fought for bread and roses too."
