
The name
The unusual name owes its origins to Hong Kong, where the Royal Navy's China Fleet canteen morphed into a club with a new building between 1929 and 1941. During the battle for Hong Kong, the Japanese occupied the club, using it as their naval HQ. The club was extensively refurbished and returned to its former use after the Royal Marines and Royal Navy liberated the colony.
Because of the agreement to hand back Hong Kong to the Chinese in 1997, the search began for a suitable successor to the China Fleet Club, this time in the UK. The new China Fleet Country Club was formally opened by The Prince of Wales on December 5, 1991 along with the golf course. On November 30, 1992, the Hong Kong China Fleet Club closed its doors for the last time ready for the Chinese to take over Hong Kong.