In 1793, Britain's first Ambassador to China George Macartney introduced two of the leading empires of his age, and set off one of the greatest power shifts in history. Here Eoin McDonnell examines the nature and personalities of the Ambassador and his imperial host, the Emperor Qianlong. As McDonnell suggests, this diplomatic mission represents one of the major missed opportunities in history, and the challenges faced by Macartney still find echoes in the strained relations between China and the West.