President Xi, along with his wife, was greeted by Prince Charles on behalf of the Queen. Later on they traveled to Horse Guards Parade for the ceremony where thousands of people awaited. (Photo : Reuters)
Queen Elizabeth II has laid out a traditional ceremonial welcome for President Xi Jinping, with the presence of senior royal family members and political leaders.
President Xi, along with his wife, was greeted by Prince Charles on behalf of the Queen. Later on they traveled to Horse Guards Parade for the ceremony where thousands of people awaited.
Xi is the first Chinese head of state to visit Britain in 10 years.
The formal welcome consisted of a 41-round gun salute fired from Green Park and 62 gun salute from the Tower of London.
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, President Xi inspected the Guard of Honor and then proceeded to join the Queen for a state carriage procession along The Mall, heading to Buckingham Palace.
Xi then had lunch at the palace with the Queen and had a chance to survey an exhibition of Chinese-related items from the Royal Collection.
"The enthusiastic welcome from the British side is a step forward for bilateral ties and represents the West and East warmly embracing each other for a better future," said Fu Xiaolan, professor of technology and international development at Oxford University.
Fu further stated that close cooperation between the two countries could raise the living standards of ordinary people, as Britain's knowledge and creativity will benefit both sides in future developments.
In the afternoon, President Xi visited the palace of Westminster where he delivered a speech in the Royal Gallery to members of both Houses of Parliament and other dignitaries.
A state banquet was hosted by the Queen in the evening where the two heads of state would address the guests.
