We have three Chinese Liberal Democrat candidates standing in this May's local elections and here's a little more about them.

Merlene Emerson

Merlene needs no introduction as our Chinese Liberal Democrat co-chair and Chair of the new Liberal Democrat Race Equality Policy Working Group. Here is Merlene's own introduction for the local elections where she is standing in Barnes, London.

After deciding to join the Liberal Democrats not so long ago I was astonished to find during the General Elections last June that my vote would not stand for much. There wasn't a suitable candidate who represented my views in my constituency in Kent. It was an inspirational moment, and one that led me to spring into action and commit to making 2018 a pro-active campaigning year.

I had been struggling for a while on whether to head to Spring Conference or to stay in London and on the doorstep with Elaine [Bagshaw], Shelly, Jack and Tara. Eventually, I decided to head to the conference. I wanted to learn more about how a campaign operates as we approach the short campaign, and how I could really contribute. Conference didn't disappoint.

Co-Chair of Chinese Liberal Democrats Tatyan Cheung gives a rare interview on what attracted him to the Liberal Democrats, life as a Town Councillor and encourages younger members of Chinese community to get involved in politics too.

Q: Many people from the Chinese community especially from the 1^st generation shun politics. What was it about the Liberal Democrats that attracted you to join as a member?

What would Liberal Prime Minister Gladstone have thought of his statue holding two red lanterns, or of the sight of a Chinese lion prancing up the grand marble staircase of the Club that he had founded?

The Chinese LibDems returned to the NLC for a second year running, but for the first time, Janet Berridge, (the first female Chairman at the National Liberal Club in its 136 year history) was present to host the proceedings.

A Chinese New Year message, from the Rt Hon Sir Vince Cable MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats:

I would like to wish a Happy New Year to our friends and members of the Chinese community in the UK and to all who celebrate Lunar New Year during this time of year. May it be a time of great joy and celebration with family and friends.

Sarah Cheung Johnson was a candidate in local elections May 17. She applied for and got a Chinese LibDem grant towards her campaign. She writes:

I ran as a brand new candidate for my division in the Cambridgeshire County Council elections in May 17, coming 146 votes short of the Tory incumbent.

Given the way state institutions, whether in authoritarian or liberal societies, manipulate the public space in recent years, this is a timely book by author, Ya Wen-Lei. It explores the factors encouraging or discouraging open public discourse. Although the primary focus of the book is on the contentious public space in China, there are broader lessons to be drawn as populism with authoritarian tendencies seems to be gaining ground in western democracies.

Lord Paddy Ashdown, Liberal Democrat leader and Patron of CLDs, had a two-day fact-finding mission to Hong Kong (27 Nov 2017 - 28 Nov 2017).

Speaking to the Foreign Correspondents' Club, Lord Ashdown said Britain must remember its obligations to its former colony Hong Kong, even as it pursues post-Brexit trade deals with Beijing.

The Queen has in her Christmas speech welcomed new members into the royal family in 2018.

Prince Harry will soon have a mother-in-law who is African American and the young couple's future children will be of mixed race heritage. The society pages lap up the fairy-tale love story and we all cheer ourselves on how liberal we have become as a nation.