Abstract: There are only a handful references to China or Chinese people in Shakespeare's works. However, the people in his era, from the monarchs at the top to the peddlers and porters at the bottom of the society, plus scientists, navigators, geographers, dramatists, and poets, were keenly interested in expanding overseas trade, discovering new continents, opening up new sea routes, and establishing contact with China in particular. Studies show that Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is closely related to the British desire for and construction of the contact with China during the Elizabethan era, as evidenced by the royal family's letters to the Chinese emperor, British trade and diplomacy, the opening of new sea routes and the drawing of new maps, the performance in Cecil's house warming and so on. As a playwright, Shakespeare was influenced by Elizabeth I's “Cathy Venture” plan in search for “China”.

Key words: Twelfth Night, Cataian, search for China, Elizabeth I, diplomacy