The 48 Group was officially established in 1954 after the first western trade delegation to the newly formed People's Republic of China, the Icebreaker Mission, successfully signed a number of agreements in July 1953. These Icebreakers became legendary. Jack Perry was the driving force and the inspiration behind this initiative and the decades of work that followed. Today, almost 70 years later, his son Stephen Perry is the group's Chairman, a post he has now held for 26 years, as it celebrates the work that began in 1951 and looks to the future. The 48 Group is now focused on helping the chairs of major companies, as well as leading political and academic figures, to better understand China and how to benefit from the enormous advances and growth that the country is still able to produce. While some fear the return of China as a leading world nation, the 48 Group sees it as the stimulus for fresh growth and innovation – the basis for addressing global poverty and producing sustainable development. The 48 Group seeks the keys to the opportunities.