The Macartney Embassy, also called the Macartney Mission, is the first British diplomatic mission to China, which takes place in 1793
It is named for its leader, George Macartney, Great Britain's first envoy to China.
The goals of the mission include the opening of new ports for British trade in China, the establishment of a permanent embassy in Beijing, the cession of a small island for British use along China's coast, and the relaxation of trade restrictions on British merchants in Guangzhou (Canton).
Macartney's delegation meets with the Qianlong Emperor, who rejects all of the British requests.
Although the mission fails to achieve its official objectives, it is later noted for the extensive cultural, political, and geographical observations its participants had recorded in China and brought back to Europe.
