The commercial shipping line created strong trade links between the cities of Shanghai, Hong Kong and Liverpool; mainly importing silk, cotton and tea.

Some of these men married working class British women, resulting in a number of British-born Eurasian Chinese being born in Liverpool.

At the end of the conflict, they were forbidden shore jobs, their pay was cut by two-thirds and they were offered only one-way voyages back to China.

Hundreds of men were forced to leave their families, with many of their locally born children continuing to live in and around Liverpool's Chinatown to this day.

The Chinese Arch was assembled in 2000 (after being built in one of Liverpool's twin cities – Shanghai) as a mark of redevelopment of the area, which is still continuing today.

[8] The proposal includes building a 23,000 m2 (250,000 sq ft) trade centre that will provide space for up to 100 businesses, specialist accommodation for Chinese students as well as a large Asian Pacific food market.

2007 estimates state 1.7% of Liverpool's population as being of full Chinese descent (some 7,400 people), making it the city's single largest non-White ethnic group.

[12] Along with the Chinese workers, block components manufactured by The Shanghai Linyi Garden Company Ltd were also shipped from China to Liverpool in five large containers with 2,000 pieces.

[15] (Washington D.C. having the tallest outside China at 47 ft.)[16] The arch boasts 200 hand carved dragons of which 188 are ordinary and 12 are pregnant, the meaning of which is to symbolise good fortune between Liverpool and Shanghai.