WCMT funds new work at China Exchange on COVID-19 racism

China Exchange has been awarded a COVID-19 action grant from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (WCMT).

The project will facilitate discussion about the impact of pandemic-linked racism on Chinatown, and provide a counter-narrative to racist sentiment and prejudice that is harming the communities that use this area.

Throughout 2020, anti-Chinese sentiment has grown in the UK. Hate crimes against East and South-East Asian people have increased by nearly 300%, while hate speech online has increased by 900%. London’s Chinatown, which is a focal point for many Chinese people living in London and around the UK, faces significant pressure, with a dramatic decline in footfall since the first reports of the outbreak emerged from Wuhan.

The award follows the Fellowship given to our CEO, Freya Aitken-Turff to research perspectives on Chinatown’s economic, cultural and social prospects in 2017.

The project will involve 88 participants in 8 workshops in 2021.  For more information, email info@chinaexchange.uk