State visit by Xi Jinping to the United Kingdom

State Visit of Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the United KingdomDate| 19–23 October 2015

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Venue| London, Manchester
Xi met with King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) |  |

This article is part of
a series about

Xi Jinping

|

* Xi Jinping Administration
* 2012 election as General Secretary
* 2017 reelection as General Secretary
* 2022 reelection as General Secretary
* New Zhijiang Army

* * *

Policies and theories

* Belt and Road Initiative
* Chinese Dream
* Common prosperity
* Confidence Doctrine
* Four Comprehensives
* "Comprehensive Deepening Reforms"
* Chinese-style modernization
* Foreign policy
* Eight Musts
* Eight-point Regulation
* Targeted Poverty Alleviation
* Two Establishes and Two Safeguards
* Xi Jinping Thought
* Diplomacy
* Holistic security concept
* Personality cult
* Party media takes the party's last name
* Three Stricts and Three Honests
* Two Centenaries
* Wolf warrior diplomacy
* Whole-process people's democracy

* * *

Key events

* Anti-corruption campaign
* 709 crackdown
* Persecution of Uyghurs in China
* Xinjiang internment camps
* China–US trade war
* 2019–20 Hong Kong protests
* COVID-19 pandemic
* Response
* CCP centenary
* Historical resolution
* 2020–2021 reform spree
* 2022 Hong Kong visit

* * *

Diplomatic activities

* Xi–Chu meeting
* Xi–Ma Meeting
* Xi–Kim meetings
* 2015 Pakistan visit
* 2015 United States visit
* 2015 United Kingdom visit
* 2019 Italy and France visit
* CPC and World Political Parties Summit
* 2023 Russia visit

* * *

* Speech series
* Governance of China

* * *

* v
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* e

The 2015 Xi Jinping United Kingdom visit, from 19 to 23 October 2015, was the first state visit of Xi Jinping to the United Kingdom. It also was the Chinese paramount leader's first visit to the United Kingdom since 2005 and the second Chinese state leader to visit the UK after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit between 16 and 19 June 2014. During the visit, Xi met Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister David Cameron, and also visited Manchester City F.C.

## Background[edit]

The vice-director of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, Feng Zhongping, said China–United Kingdom relations were warming rapidly. In March 2015, the United Kingdom joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. In September, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne visited China. Feng said this visit would bring an improvement in Anglo-Chinese relations.[1]

The increasingly warm relationship has led some political analysts to describe it as a "special relationship". An article by CNN analyst Katie Hunt posits that a key reason for the increase in relations is due in part to Britain's avoidance of raising sensitive political issues such as the Chinese claims in the South China Sea, although she noted that issues such as the Tibetan independence movement could still cause tensions between the two nations.[2]

## Process[edit]

### 19 October: Arrival at London[edit]

On 19 October 2015 Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, arrived at Heathrow Airport and stepped off an Air China aircraft. They were greeted on behalf of the Queen by Viscount Hood and the UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.[3]

### 20 October: Met Queen Elizabeth II, publish the speech and state dinner[edit]

Xi Jinping delivering a speech at the Palace of Westminster

On 20 October Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh hosted the ceremony to welcome Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Horse Guards Parade. The British welcomed Xi Jinping with a 41-gun salute in Green Park and a simultaneous 62-gun salute at the Tower of London and City of London (103 guns in total).[4][5][6][7] During this visit, supporters of Xi – primarily Chinese students at British universities – waved flags and banners and carried a dragon spelling out the message "Welcome Big Buddy Xi".[8] Photographs later produced by Amnesty UK showing diplomatic cargo boxes full of flags prior to the visit showed "that the Chinese embassy has been shipping in flags, hats, T-shirts and other pro-China merchandise as diplomatic baggage in order to put on a show of strength and support for the visiting President", according to a spokesperson for Amnesty International.[9][10]

Chinese officials are believed to have wanted their security personnel to carry guns and for anti-Chinese protests to be banned completely. The Metropolitan Police refused on both accounts,[11] and activists of Falun Gong and the Free Tibet Campaign convened to demonstrate against China's human rights abuses and to call for the UK government to put human rights on the visit's agenda.[6][12][13] Two Tibetan women were arrested under Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 and had their homes raided under Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 after flying a Tibetan flag near Xi's car, as well as computer equipment seized. Shao Jiang, a survivor of the Tiananmen Square massacre who also had her computer seized and home raided by police while in custody, said that the events reminded her of the repression she experienced in China prior to her exile.[14] The Falun Gong followers called for former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Jiang Zemin, to be brought to justice for the persecution of its practitioners.[15] Before this visit, the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn promised to raise human rights issues, but China ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming said this visit would focus on partnership and cooperation between the two countries.[16]

Xi and Peng had lunch with the Queen, viewed the Royal Collection's Chinese artefacts, and exchanged gifts with the Royals, giving them two albums of Peng Liyuan's music.[8] In the afternoon, Xi Jinping made a speech at the Palace of Westminster. He focused on historic bi-national ties, law and order, and China's burgeoning economy in this speech. He also cited Shakespeare's The Tempest, that "what's past is prologue".[17] Later Xi Jinping visited the Clarence House, the residence of Prince William, and had tea with the prince. In the evening, Xi and Peng arrived for a state banquet at the Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen. Xi also met with the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.[8] After the banquet, Xi and Peng stayed two nights at the palace in the Belgian Suite.[18][19]

### 21 October: Met David Cameron, business summit, and visiting events[edit]

On 21 October, Xi met with British Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street, where they signed business agreements worth 40 billion pounds. The British government announced the UK will extend the standard Chinese visitor visas from six months to two years.[20] Merlin Entertainments signed an agreement with China Media Capital to establish a Legoland in Shanghai.[21] After the meeting, Xi and Cameron signed a cybersecurity pact at the press conference. They also talked about the issue of human rights.[22]

Xi and Cameron attended the UK-China business summit at Mansion House, where the focus was on investment, infrastructure and innovation.[20] Later Xi visited Imperial College London, Lancaster House and the London Office of Huawei, a leading Chinese telecommunications company.[20] In the evening Xi attended the banquet hosted by the Lord Mayor of London Alan Yarrow at the City of London.[20]

### 22 October: Visiting events and meeting at Chequers[edit]

Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan bid farewell to the Queen and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace.[23] Xi then attended the opening ceremony of the annual conference of Confucius Institutes and Classrooms with Prince Andrew. He and Prince Andrew together unveiled the plaque of the 1000th Confucius Classroom at Hautlieu School, which was hosted by Hautlieu School of Jersey and Beijing Bayi High School.[24][25]

Xi also visited Inmarsat with Prince Andrew and Liu Xiaoming.[26] Peng Liyuan visited Royal Academy of Music with Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Peng also visited the Brussels Musical Instrument Museum.[27][28]

Later, Xi and Cameron held talks at Chequers. Cameron was expected to raise concerns over Hong Kong directly with Xi, but there was no mention of this in the statement.[29] Cameron also took Xi to a traditional British pub for beers and fish and chips, the English traditional dish.[30] Xi left London and arrived at Manchester at 10 pm.[31]

### 23 October: Manchester visit[edit]

On 23 October, Xi visited Manchester. He visited the National Graphene Institute of the University of Manchester with Professor Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the university, alongside George Osborne, Lord Jim O’Neill and the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, James Wharton.[32] Later Xi visited Manchester City F.C., Manchester City Football Academy and its exhibition of football history.[33] He also witnessed former Manchester City defender Sun Jihai being inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame[34] and took a selfie with Sergio Agüero.[35]

Before Xi left, he visited the Airport City Manchester project. He announced that Hainan Airlines will launch non-stop flights between Beijing and Manchester.[35]

## Controversy[edit]

The British officials said that the China-UK business transactions were highly exaggerated and Britain would continue to tightly regulate the nuclear industry.[36]

In May 2016, Queen Elizabeth II was filmed making an unguarded remark that the Chinese "were very rude to the ambassador", and that it was "bad luck" for the Metropolitan police commander Lucy D'Orsi that she had to be responsible for security during the state visit.[37]

## See also[edit]

* China portal
* United Kingdom portal
* Politics portal

* China–United Kingdom relations
* Foreign relations of China
* Foreign relations of the United Kingdom

## References[edit]

1. ^ "觀點：中英開創兩國關係「黃金期」". BBC Chinese. 16 October 2015.
2. ^ Hunt, Katie (19 October 2015). "China and UK: Signs of a new 'special relationship?'". CNN. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
3. ^ "Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in UK". BBC. 19 October 2015.
4. ^ "Troops on parade as UK welcomes China with spectacular ceremony". GOV.UK. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
5. ^ "Xi Jinping visit: UK-China ties 'will be lifted to new height'". BBC. 20 October 2015.
6. ^ a b "China President Xi Jinping's UK tour: pomp and protest". Financial Times. 20 October 2015.
7. ^ "Why a 103-gun royal salute for President Xi?". Xinhua News Agency. 20 October 2015. Archived from the original on 25 October 2015.
8. ^ a b c "Chinese president hosted by Queen at Buckingham Palace state banquet – as it happened". The Guardian. 20 October 2015.
9. ^ Stone, Jon (21 October 2015). "The Chinese government seems to have been behind flag-waving supporters welcoming Xi Jinping to the UK". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
10. ^ Walker, Peter (20 October 2015). "Crowds greet Xi Jinping with flags seemingly brought by Chinese embassy". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
11. ^ Low, Valentine (12 May 2016). "Line of duty: officer won praise for handling of 'rude' Chinese". The Times. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
12. ^ "Chinese President Xi begins 4-day visit to UK amid human rights concerns". CNN. 20 October 2015.
13. ^ "Xi Jinping's carriage ride up London's Mall runs the gauntlet of Falun Gong, Tibet and China supporters". South China Morning Post. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
14. ^ Walker, Peter (23 October 2015). "Xi Jinping protesters arrested and homes searched over London demonstrations". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
15. ^ Jane (23 October 2015). "MANCHESTER GETS A WHIFF OF CHINA DURING CAMERON AND XI JINPING VISIT". Salford Star.
16. ^ "Chinese ambassador: we do not shy away from discussing human rights". The Guardian. 18 October 2015.
17. ^ "Chinese president Xi Jinping visits Parliament... and receives an unexpected lecture on human rights". The Telegraph. 20 October 2015.
18. ^ "Xi Jinping state banquet: The Duchess of Cambridge and her Lotus Flower tiara made from Queen Mother's jewels". The Telegraph. 21 October 2015.
19. ^ "习近平今日抵英访问 下榻全球最贵豪宅白金汉宫". Beijing Times. 20 October 2015.
20. ^ a b c d "Xi Jinping signs nuclear deal as UK and China clinch £40bn of contracts". The Guardian. 21 October 2015.
21. ^ "Merlin signs deal for Chinese Legoland in Shanghai". BBC News. 21 October 2015.
22. ^ "Xi Jinping state visit: UK and China sign cybersecurity pact". The Guardian. 21 October 2015.
23. ^ "Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan Bid Farewell to Queen Elizabeth II of UK and Her Husband". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. 23 October 2015.
24. ^ "Xi Jinping: China has taught UK schools discipline – and learned about play". The Guardian. 22 October 2015.
25. ^ "Xi Jinping Attends the Opening Ceremony of Annual Conference of UK Confucius Institutes and Classrooms". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. 22 October 2015.
26. ^ "Inmarsat welcomes President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China". Inmarsat. 22 October 2015.
27. ^ "China's first lady Peng Liyuan strikes right chord chatting to music students, Mandarin pupils during visit to UK". South China Morning Post. 23 October 2015.
28. ^ "China's first lady Peng Liyuan, in pictures". The Telegraph. 23 October 2015.
29. ^ "Xi Jinping and David Cameron hold talks at Chequers". BBC News. 23 October 2015.
30. ^ "British PM David Cameron takes China's Xi Jinping to traditional British pub for beers, fish and chips". ABC News (Australia). 23 October 2015.
31. ^ "习近平同英国首相卡梅伦再次会晤". Xinhua News Agency. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
32. ^ "China's President Xi Jinping visits the National Graphene Institute". University of Manchester. 23 October 2015.
33. ^ "Xi Jinping Visits Manchester City Football Academy". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. 23 October 2015.
34. ^ "Sun Jihai joins legendary figures in National Football Hall of Fame - er, WHAT?". The Mirror. 23 October 2015.
35. ^ a b "Did David Cameron photobomb Sergio Aguero and China's Xi Jinping selfie?". CNN. 23 October 2015.
36. ^ "Britain to Grant China a Large Stake in Nuclear Industry". The New York Times. 22 October 2015.
37. ^ "Queen caught on camera saying Chinese officials were 'very rude'". The Guardian. 11 May 2016.

* v
* t
* e

Xi Jinping

* General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party
* President of the People's Republic of China
* Chairman of the Central Military Commission

Policies
and theories|

* Xi Jinping Administration
* paramount leader
* leadership core
* Li Qiang Government (2023-present)
* Xi Jinping–Li Keqiang Administration
* Li Keqiang Government (2013-2023)
* Li Keqiang
* Xi Jinping Thought
* Diplomacy
* Clear waters and green mountains
* Chinese Dream
* Chinese-style modernization
* Common prosperity
* Confidence doctrine
* Document Number Nine
* Dual circulation
* Eight Musts
* Eight-point Regulation
* Four Comprehensives
* Party media takes the party's last name
* Holistic security concept
* Three Stricts and Three Honests
* Historical resolution
* Two Centenaries
* Two Establishes and Two Safeguards
* Whole-process people's democracy

Events|

| First term|

* 2012 election as Party general secretary
* Anti-corruption campaign
* Wang Qishan (2012-2017)
* World Internet Conference
* 709 crackdown
* Toilet Revolution in China
* 2015 China Victory Day Parade

|

Second term|

* 2017 reelection as Party general secretary
* Persecution of Uyghurs in China
* Xinjiang internment camps
* China–United States trade war
* 2019–20 Hong Kong protests
* 2019 China 70th National Day grand parade
* COVID-19 pandemic
* Response
* 100th Anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party
* 2020 Inner Mongolia protests
* 2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree
* 2022 Winter Olympics
* 2022 Hong Kong visit

Third term|

* 2022 2nd reelection as Party general secretary

Diplomacy|

| Policies|

* Belt and Road Initiative
* 2017 BRI Forum
* Community of Common Destiny
* Global Security Initiative
* Wolf warrior diplomacy
* China and the Russian invasion of Ukraine

|

Meetings
and trips|

* Ma–Xi meeting
* 2015 Pakistan visit
* Xi–Chu Summit
* 2015 United States visit
* 2015 United Kingdom visit
* Kim–Xi meetings
* 2019 Italy and France visit
* CPC and World Political Parties Summit
* 2023 Russia visit

New Zhijiang Army|

* Cai Qi
* Chen Min'er
* Huang Kunming
* Lou Yangsheng
* Bayanqolu
* Ying Yong
* Li Qiang
* Ding Xuexiang
* Zhong Shaojun

Works|

* General Secretary Xi Jinping important speech series
* The Governance of China
* The Hopes of President Xi
* Zhijiang Xinyu
* Quotations from Chairman Xi Jinping

Family|

* Xi Zhongxun (father)
* Qi Xin (mother)
* Ke Lingling (1st wife)
* Peng Liyuan (2nd wife)
* Qi Qiaoqiao (sister)
* Xi Yuanping (brother)
* Xi Mingze (daughter)

Related|

* Amazing China
* Accelerator-in-Chief
* Censorship of Winnie-the-Pooh
* Cult of personality
* Panama Papers (Deng Jiagui)
* Open Letter asking Xi Jinping to Resign
* Rhyzodiastes xii
* General Secretary Xi Jinping's Kindness We Never Forget
* Xuexi Qiangguo

* Category:Xi Jinping

* v
* t
* e

Elizabeth II

Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms (1952–2022)

Realms|

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Australia
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Canada
* Ceylon
* Fiji
* Gambia
* Ghana
* Grenada
* Guyana
* Jamaica
* Kenya
* Malawi
* Malta
* Mauritius
* New Zealand
* Nigeria
* Pakistan
* Papua New Guinea
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Saint Lucia
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Sierra Leone
* Solomon Islands
* South Africa
* Tanganyika
* Trinidad and Tobago
* Tuvalu
* Uganda
* United Kingdom

Titles and
honours|

* Head of the Commonwealth
* Defender of the Faith
* Supreme Governor of the Church of England
* Head of the British Armed Forces
* Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces
* Head of the Armed Forces (New Zealand)
* Lord of Mann
* Duke of Normandy
* List of things named after Elizabeth II
* Royal Family Order
* Elizabeth Cross
* Queen's Official Birthday
* Flags

Family|

* Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (husband)
* wedding
* wedding dress
* wedding cake
* Charles III (son)
* Anne, Princess Royal (daughter)
* Prince Andrew, Duke of York (son)
* Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (son)
* George VI (father)
* Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (mother)
* Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (sister)
* Mountbatten-Windsor family

Accession and
coronation|

* Proclamation of accession
* Coronation
* Royal guests
* Participants in the procession
* Coronation chicken
* Coronation gown
* Medal
* Honours
* Award
* The Queen's Beasts
* Coronation Arches
* Orb and Sceptre
* O taste and see
* Treetops Hotel
* MacCormick v Lord Advocate

Reign|

* Household
* Personality and image
* Prime ministers
* Pillar Box War
* Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence
* Queen of Rhodesia
* Lithgow Plot
* 1975 Australian constitutional crisis
* Palace letters
* Marcus Sarjeant incident
* Christopher John Lewis incident
* Michael Fagan incident
* 1987 Fijian coups d'état
* 1992 Windsor Castle fire
* Annus horribilis
* Handover of Hong Kong
* Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
* 1999 Australian republic referendum
* Perth Agreement
* State Opening of Parliament
* 2021
* 2022

Jubilees|

| Silver Jubilee|

* Events
* Medal
* Honours
* Jubilee Gardens
* Jubilee line
* Jubilee Walkway

|

Ruby Jubilee|

* Queen's Anniversary Prizes

Golden Jubilee|

* Prom at the Palace
* Party at the Palace
* Medal
* Honours
* The Odyssey
* 2002 royal tour of Canada

Diamond Jubilee|

* Pageant
* Armed Forces Parade and Muster
* Thames Pageant
* Gloriana
* Spirit of Chartwell
* Concert
* Gibraltar Flotilla
* Medal
* Honours

Sapphire Jubilee|

Sapphire Jubilee Snowflake Brooch

Platinum Jubilee|

* Medal
* Beacons
* Platinum Party at the Palace
* Pageant
* Platinum Jubilee Celebration: A Gallop Through History
* Trooping the Colour
* National Service of Thanksgiving
* Platinum Pudding
* The Queen's Green Canopy
* Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours
* The Bahamas Platinum Jubilee Sailing Regatta
* The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Concert
* Big Jubilee Read
* "Queenhood"
* Queen's Platinum Jubilee Gardens

Death|

* Death and state funeral
* Reactions
* Queue for the lying-in-state
* Funeral guests
* Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day
* Operation London Bridge
* Demise Honours
* Like as the hart
* Who shall separate us?
* Sleep, Dearie, Sleep

Commonwealth
tours|

* Aden Colony
* Antigua and Barbuda
* Australia
* official openings
* Canada
* Jamaica
* New Zealand
* Saint Lucia
* Sierra Leone

| Ships used|

* HMS Vanguard (23)
* SS Gothic (1947)
* HMY Britannia

|

State visits|

| Outgoing|

* State visit to Spain
* State visit to Russia
* State visit to Ireland

|

Incoming|

* Pope Benedict XVI
* President Michael D. Higgins
* President Xi Jinping

Depictions|

| Televised addresses|

* Royal address to the nation
* Royal Christmas Message

|

Documentaries|

* Royal Journey (1951)
* A Queen Is Crowned (1953)
* Royal New Zealand Journey (1954)
* The Queen in Australia (1954)
* The Royal Tour of the Caribbean (1966)
* Royal Family (1969)
* Elizabeth R: A Year in the Life of the Queen (1992)
* Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work (2007)
* The Diamond Queen (2012)
* Elizabeth at 90: A Family Tribute (2016)
* The Coronation (2018)
* Elizabeth: A Portrait in Parts (2022)
* Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen (2022)

Film and
television|

* Spitting Image (1984–96); (2020–21)
* A Question of Attribution (1992 TV)
* Willi und die Windzors (1996)
* Her Majesty (2001)
* The Queen (2006)
* South Park: The Snuke (2007)
* The Queen (2009 TV serial)
* Happy and Glorious (2012)
* A Royal Night Out (2015)
* Minions (2015)
* The Crown (2016–23)
* The Queen's Corgi (2019)
* 2020 Alternative Christmas message (2020)
* The Prince (2021)

Plays|

* A Question of Attribution (1988)
* The Audience (2013)
* Handbagged

Portraits|

* Conversation Piece at the Royal Lodge, Windsor
* Wattle Queen
* Pietro Annigoni's portraits
* Reigning Queens
* Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1992)
* Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – An 80th Birthday Portrait
* The Queen
* The Coronation Theatre: Portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II
* Beautiful Portrait, The Queen
* Queen Elizabeth II
* Algorithm Queen

Statues|

* Windsor
* Winnipeg
* Lagos
* Toronto
* York Minster

Books|

* The Queen and I
* The Little Princesses
* The Uncommon Reader
* Winnie-the-Pooh Meets the Queen
* Queen Camilla

Songs|

* "God Save the Queen" (Sex Pistols song)
* "Her Majesty"

Stamps|

* Machin series (list)
* Wilding series
* Castle series
* Canadian domestic rate stamp
* Country definitives

Animals|

| Corgis|

* Dookie
* Susan

|

Horses|

* Aureole
* Burmese
* Carrozza
* Dunfermline
* Estimate
* Height of Fashion
* Highclere
* Pall Mall
* Winston

Related|

* 21st birthday speech of Princess Elizabeth
* Jewels of Elizabeth II
* Elizabeth line
* Sagana Lodge
* Villa Guardamangia
* Dorgi
* Children's Party at the Palace
* The Queen's Birthday Party
* Jeannette Charles
* Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth'
* Queen Elizabeth cake

* ← George VI
* Charles III →

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