In reference to Tim Clissold’s letter (“Here’s a solution for those pupils struggling with Mandarin”, December 3) and Yuan Yang’s article “If the UK is to understand Beijing, it must speak to it” (Opinion, November 19), I am an Oxford graduate in Chinese (Oriel College, Oriental Institute 1964-1967), have a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies in Chinese philosophy (London University, 2001), and am a fluent Mandarin speaker and writer. I have pursued a lifetime interest in China, its language, history and culture, working in the Far East for 20 years, then lecturing at conferences across the world, albeit not the UK, and authoring several books and translations including a bilingual translation of Héguanzî, the Dao of Unity in the Birth of the Chinese Empire (2022).

While often approached by alumni fundraisers from Oxford and Soas, I have yet to receive the slightest interest from either in my work or writings, despite donating my works to their libraries. When starting Chinese 60 years ago, I never dreamt I would find knowledge of China actually seeming to decrease in the UK over my lifetime.

I live in hope that I may one day be invited to participate in a campaign actually to increase that UK’s knowledge and awareness.

Marnix Wells
London CR0, UK