Dear friends and colleagues

You may think it should be easy not to have problems in life, but suppose you or your family, for whatever reason, fall into difficulties, and you know that legal advice is essential to fight an injustice, but you cannot afford it.

Imagine also others, whose lives are degraded and made miserable, but they cannot see a way out because they have no access to legal guidance.

A long-standing member of Chinese Liberal Democrats, Jonathan Fryer, has been adopted as the LibDem parliamentary candidate for the East London constituency of Dagenham & Rainham. Jonathan studied Chinese at Oxford and Hong Kong universities and since 1993 has been a subject lecturer at London University's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). He also works as a freelance journalist and broadcaster, mainly for the BBC and several Middle Eastern TV channels.

Alex Payton is a barrister practising in disputes about contracts, situations where there has been a breach of duty of care, and housing and land. He has been a member of the Liberal Democrats since 2001 and has campaigned successfully on many issues, from fighting to retain local post offices, to ensuring the local NHS provides for palliative care. He has been a councillor, and stood for the Liberal Democrats in North West Hampshire in the 2015 General Election.

Jade has a BA(Hons) in Business and Accounting from the University of Glamorgan in Treforest. Jade grew up in Suffolk, though after visiting her chosen University, she knew this was where she wanted to be and moved to South Wales shortly before starting University in 2011.

Jade was diagnosed with Dyspraxia as a young child and knows how difficulties with access to diagnosis and support affect people with learning needs. Early diagnosis and support is vital to a child's development, and the subject is close to Jade's heart. Due to her own experiences, Jade developed a passion for supporting those with Specific Learning Needs, Learning Disabilities and Mental ill health. Since Primary School Jade has supported her peers with various Learning needs/Disabilities such as Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Autism, and has consistently received excellent feedback regarding her ability to be understanding and ensure that support is tailored to the individual's needs.

I have just returned from a 4 day road trip to France and Belgium over Easter with some of the descendants of the Chinese Labour Corps (CLCs) visiting 1st World War memorial sites in Arras, Vimy Ridge, Poperinge and Ieper.

Less well known is the Chinese cemetery in Noyelles sur Mer where 841 members of the CLCs have been buried. Admittedly these numbers are not impressive as compared to the millions who had died in the Great War, but I would argue that 140,000 CLCs recruited by Britain and France to help in the war effort should nevertheless not be forgotten.

On March 25^th, CLDs were out in full force with thousands of others marching from Marble Arch to Parliament Square to make our voices heard and to support the 48%.

As Dr Yee Wah Foo said, "Brexit may take different forms - if we are destined to leave, then the manner in which we leave becomes ever more important."

On 19 March, a group of Chinese Liberal Democrats travelled from London and Birmingham to Cirencester for a day of action in support of Councillor Tatyan Cheung.

We went canvassing in the village of Bibury, once described by William Morris as "the most beautiful village in England" and had a really successful day.

Whilst researching this subject, I couldn't help thinking that here were the ingredients ripe for the design of a board game. It could be something of a cross between "Diplomacy" and "Vendée Globe"?

Each player representing a country of choice could set its mission and collaborate with other players to achieve their desired outcomes. Chance cards might include whether, say, an international tribunal has decided in their favour. And tokens could be earned along the way to enable them to reclaim rocks and reefs, build air strips or even patrol the islands with clone submarines?

As someone fascinated by the Central Asian countries, I was delighted when the All Party Parliamentary Group for China (APPCG) organised a talk this week by Peter Frankopan, author of "The Silk Roads - A New History of the World".

"The Silk Roads are rising again", said Richard Graham MP, Chair of APPCG at the end of a fulsome introduction of the Oxford University historian. Yet, there are not many other Parliamentarians, let alone the British public, who are in tune with the zeitgeist.

Will Cheung is a British Born Chinese member of the Liberal Democrats in Northamptonshire (Corby & East Northamptonshire constituency). He is a relative newcomer to political activism, after finding interest in the wake of Hong Kong's "Umbrella Revolution" protests of 2014. The EU membership referendum result spurred Will to pro-EU activism and subsequently joining the Liberal Democrats. He describes his motivation for joining the Liberal Democrats as a means to get involved with communities, putting into practice resisting the politics of extremism.