In the 19th Century, Great Britain was in full expansion, promoting free trade to all parts of the world especially to China in order to export the surplus of its industrial production. However, the Chinese Empire would not easily be impressed by the West, continuing to perceive itself as the centre of the world and remaining reluctant to interact with the outside world. English-language newspapers in Canton, Hong Kong and Shanghai acted as a point of juncture where small groups of British merchants and their Chinese intermediaries met. This essay will explore the encounter between the British and the Chinese in the 19th Century through trade, educational and communications institutions and will examine the long-term effects of this meeting of cultures.