Day of pageantry in store for Chinese president on UK visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan were due for a day of pageantry on their first full day in Britain, with a ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade and a carriage procession along the Mall to Buckingham Palace.

The five-day visit is aimed at cementing what both British Prime Minister David Cameron and Mr Xi have referred to as a "golden era" of Sino-British relations.

In a statement, Mr Cameron said the visit would see more than £30 billion (€41 billion) worth of trade and investment deals completed, creating over 3,900 jobs across the UK.

“It’s a real opportunity to deepen our relationship and I’m delighted President Xi is spending so much time here,” Mr Cameron said in an interview with state broadcaster CCTV.

Mr Xi said he expects to have an in-depth exchange of views with various British leaders on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues.

"China attaches great importance to growing relations with the United Kingdom, " the Chinese president said in a written statement upon arrival at Heathrow late on Monday for the first top-level state visit since 2005.

“To deepen China-UK relationship is in the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples and meets the trend of the times,” he said.

Critics, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, have said the British government is not stressing China's human rights record enough, and protests are expected throughout Mr Xi's visit, which is scheduled to end Friday.

According to China’s foreign ministry, the Queen will host a welcome ceremony for Mr Xi, as well as an informal lunch. Mr Xi will address the members of the Houses of Parliament and will meet Mr Corbyn ahead of the state banquet at Buckingham Palace, where they will spend several nights.

One notable absentee from all the royal pageantry is Prince Charles, who is known to be close to the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, whom China sees as a separatist threat.

Prince Philip, who famously referred to Beijing as “ghastly” during a visit in 1986, and also told a group of British exchange students if they lived in China much longer “you’ll all be slitty–eyed”, was due to attend the events.

One of the more controversial elements of the trade mission is an expected announcement of Chinese companies taking a stake in British nuclear power plants, which is seen as a security risk.

As well as taking a trip to see Manchester City’s grounds, he is also widely expected to make a side trip to sample some fish and chips.