Chinese president Xi Jinping rode in a gilded carriage to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday after a royal salute began a pomp-laden visit that Britain hopes will secure investment but which has drawn criticism over human rights.
As a few dozen protesters and thousands of China supporters thronged The Mall in London, Mr Xi and Queen Elizabeth II rode by in a closed carriage to the palace for a private lunch.
It was a welcome steeped in pageantry, underlining the importance of Mr Xi's visit to London, which British prime minister David Cameron hopes will cement a lucrative position for Britain as China's closest friend in the West.
Alternately hailed as the start of a “golden era” or “golden time” in Sino-British relations, the visit, which will seal billions of pounds in deals, has been criticised by activists who accuse Mr Cameron of turning a blind eye to rights abuses in China.
It has also ruffled feathers among some of Britain’s traditional allies, such as the US, where Mr Xi’s visit last month was tainted by friction over cyber-theft accusations and Beijing’s role in maritime disputes in Asia.
Police made sure the few dozen protesters had little chance of disrupting a carefully choreographed ceremony, which involved Mr Xi accompanying the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen’s husband, to inspect the guard of honour before leading a procession.
Those protesting against China’s human rights record were kept far from the procession, with their banners all but eclipsed by I Love China flags.
Tibet protesters
Shouting “Don’t trade away human rights” and “China: Buying UK’s silence on Tibet”, protesters expressed support for the Falun Gong, the spiritual sect banned as a cult in China, and called for independence for the people of Tibet.
Others took aim at what they called Mr Xi’s crackdown on civil liberties since he took power in 2012.
The visit "shows that England is not giving a damn about human rights", said one protester.
However, the protesters were drowned out by the thousands of supporters who banged drums and held large portraits of Xi in front of Buckingham Palace, where Mr Xi and his wife will stay as guests of the Queen.
For Britain, the four-day state visit is the culmination of a three-year charm offensive to attract Chinese investment in infrastructure, nuclear power and the government’s planned transformation of northern England.
Reuters