This paper examines the origins, objectives and structures, funding and cost, programs, learners, and teaching and learning of the radio and television universities in China and the British Open University (BOU). It also discusses the nature and role of each of these entities, including growth and development of higher education and the philosophies underpinning practice. Results of the comparisons show that the systems in the two countries have little difference in form but have different practices. In China, distance higher education is part of a higher education system that is the subsystem of the larger political, social, and economic systems. It is characterized by its submission to the government for the good of society at the sacrifice of individualism. In Britain, the open university has the autonomy to make its own decisions. The open university has roots in the long history of correspondence education in Britain but it is more influenced by the ideas of egalitarianism, democracy, and lifelong education. The study concludes that the type and practice of distance education vary not simply by their historical development but also by their societal context. The paper contains 8 tables, 3 three figures and 58 references. (KC)