"They were interested in English primary education and were very struck by the way in which we conducted primary education," Williams said. "In China, there was a somewhat old-fashioned approach to the relationship between teacher and pupil, in which the teacher was not just a teacher but also a kind of commanding figure."

She equated the teacher-child relationship in China at the time to that of the Victorian and Edwardian eras in Britain, between 1837 and 1910, with strict discipline, a lot of reciting together and learning by rote.

"What we brought, to some extent, to China was a sense of emancipation - bringing children into the sharing of teaching and learning, not just sitting there being told what to think," Williams said. "It took quite a long time for China to get somewhat away from that."

Arranging for some Chinese students to go to the United Kingdom was a focus during Williams' visit. After a few days of intense discussion, an agreement was made for nearly 500 to head to the UK the following year, bound for universities, polytechnics, colleges and English-language schools.

Williams said they were largely sponsored by the British government during the first five years, although sourcing the funding wasn't smooth sailing.

"We had a little crisis when we realized that China (was) serious about sending hundreds of Chinese to the UK," she said. "So we got in touch with the (British) government, which was in the middle of an economic crisis, and eventually the then Labour government sort of swallowed hard and found the money. The initial five years or so was largely scholarship, provided by the British government."

William Buckley, then director of North Cheshire College, told The Guardian newspaper that when he was informed about China's training needs and desire for national development, he ensured the prospective students had passed their key examinations in China with distinction, and would have the right kind of motivation.

Williams said the Chinese government wanted to have the students focus on areas such as aeronautics and aerospace engineering, and that made sense.

"It wasn't just an academic thing - it was a deliberate attempt, very sensibly, to fill certain gaps in China's traditional education," she said. "It would be more appropriate than simply trying to do it in China itself."

Williams' trip to China was a significant milestone, paving the way for Britain to welcome more students from China. It now hosts the largest Chinese student community in Europe.