The banquet at Buckingham Palace is reaching the end of its musical programme by now to the strains of ‘Nobody Does it Better’ (not this version).
Bond fans will of course recognise it as the theme tune from The Spy Who Loved Me, which is about the disappearance of two nuclear missile submarines.
The programme finishes with pipe music from 4th battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Army School of Bagpipe Music.
We’re going to wrap up this blog now, but will leave you with this representation of the Xi visit, courtesy of Steve Bell:
Updated
Steve Hilton, David Cameron’s sneaker-clad former chief strategist, has been telling the BBC that the UK shouldn’t be “sucking up to China”- rather it should be pushing for sanctions against Beijing.
He told BBC’s Newsnight: “I think this is one of the worst national humiliations since we went cap in hand to the IMF’s in the seventies”.
It’s a point which Hilton has pressed home in Guardian (you can read him in full here).
As well as China’s human rights record at home, Hilton cites China’s “relentless cyber attacks,” adding: “The truth is that China is a rogue state, just like Iran, and I don’t understand why we are sucking up to them.”
“Why are we not rolling out the carpet to a country like India?”
Martin Sorrell, Chief Executive at WPP, is also a guest on the programme and disagrees:
“To suggest that we are not going to roll out the red carpet for Prime Minister Modi [of India] is false. The answer is to do both.”
“You ignore China at your peril. Our experience has been that the Chinese do listen and learn and we underestimate their capacity to listen and learn.”
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The Guardian puts an image of Xi meeting the Queen on the front page, above a report on how David Cameron has been urged to challenge the Chinese president over job losses in the British steel industry following the announcement of 1,200 redundancies by the UK’s largest steelmaker
GUARDIAN: Tory rebellion grows on tax credits #tomorrowspaperstoday #BBCPapers pic.twitter.com/cdyf1cyj5n
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) October 20, 2015
Xi’s visit is getting front page treatment in Wednesday’s British newspapers, with the Financial Times leading on a report that the UK is hoping to unlock £30bn worth of Chinese investment, although there are questions over issues such as the absence of discussion about human rights in China.
FINANCIAL TIMES: Xi greeted with visa pledge as UK seeks to cash in on courtship #tomorrowspaperstoday #BBCPapers pic.twitter.com/A5eYdk5ENY
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) October 20, 2015
The Guardian’s John Crace has filed a sketch on the rather “loveless marriage” earlier today as the prime minister played chief usher to Xi during the Chinese president’s Westminster address.
Here’s a snatch from the piece, which you can read in full here:
Xi Jinping had arrived mob-handed with coach loads of advisers and security detail and, after a brief panic when it was realised there weren’t nearly enough seats for them all, the Chinese president walked in escorted on one side by the speaker of the Commons and on the other by Baroness D’Souza, the speaker of the Lords.
It’s possible that [the Speaker] John Bercow had read somewhere that the Chinese don’t respect people who brown nose too obviously, but he was certainly keen to carry on where he had left off in the Commons. “Your visit is the latest in a recent line of Asian leaders that began with Aung San Suu Kyi, that champion of human rights in Burma,” he said.
A look of panic crossed Dave’s face as he imagined billions of pounds worth of trade deals being cancelled by the end of the day, but President Xi didn’t let slip a flicker.
Among those not present at the banquet is Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minisister of Scotland.
There’s a story in The National reporting that she had been invited to the banquet but has declined due to “existing commitments”.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said:
Scotland values its strong relationship with China – the First Minister had a successful visit to China in July and External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop recently attended the UK China High Level People to People Dialogue in September where the Chinese side was led by Vice-Premier Madam Liu Yandong.
She’s missing out on the pudding which guests are likely to be reaching by now (I can inform you that it’s a delice of dark chocolate mango and lime, not a patch on the ham and cheese sandwich which I’m about to grab).
Human rights, Tibet or any of those other hot button issues (unsurprisingly) didn’t get a look-in earlier when the Queen and President Xi were addressing the banquet.
But they’re very much on the minds of demonstrators outside Buckingham Palace. Some footage:
There’s a lot of comment on social media about the appearance of Jeremy Corbyn in white tie for the meal, confounding speculation that the confirmed republican might ignore the recommended dress code.
The Labour leader, who attended the banquet alone, is sitting at the same table as Bank of England governor Mark Carney.
It had been suggested that he could seek to use the formal function to raise contentious issues with Xi Jinping if no private meeting could be arranged.
The pair did meet before the banquet in the 1844 Room, where they shook hands cordially, with Mr Corbyn placing his other hand on top and telling Mr Xi: “It’s very nice to meet you. I look forward to our meeting.”
We’ve got a report on their exchanges here. Meanwhile, on the matter of that white tie:
I'm pro-white tie, on the whole, but some of this Corbyn mockery has a slight whiff of public school hearties bullying the scholarship boy.
— Niall Gooch (@niall_gooch) October 20, 2015
Imagine the Moss Bross telephonist, "You want a White Tie set, fine, can I take your name?" "ahem, Jeremy Corbyn" "It's a prank call sir"
— Gawain Towler (@GawainTowler) October 20, 2015
Jeremy Corbyn voted against tax credit cuts then got himself into white tie in time to join the Queen at a state banquet. Impressive.
— Susan (@marthasydenham) October 20, 2015
I can confirm Jeremy Corbyn is at the state banquet AND is wearing white tie and tails (albeit somewhat ill-fitting). But well done him!
— PJM QC (@pjm1kbw) October 20, 2015
Updated
Away from the banquet, Cameron has been urged to challenge the Chinese president over job losses in the British steel industry following the announcement of 1,200 redundancies by the UK’s largest steelmaker.
We have a report here on announcement by Tata Steel, which said 900 jobs would be lost at Scunthorpe and 270 at two sites in Scotland as it blamed cheap Chinese imports, the strong pound and high electricity costs for its decision to stop production of steel plate.
The announcement came one day after 1,700 jobs were put at risk when steel products firm Caparo Industries entered administration, in the same month that 2,200 jobs were lost when the owner of the Redcar plant on Teeside went into liquidation.
Workers at the Dalzell site in Motherwell, one of the affected Tata mills, said managers had referred to competition from cheap Chinese steel when they briefed staff on Tuesday.
“They as good as said it was the end of the steel industry in Scotland this morning. The way they spoke about the Chinese imports, that’s how it was explained to us,” said Andrew Crawford, who has worked at Dalzell for nearly three decades.
Updated
Is this strictly in line with protocol? Chris Ship of ITV has picked up on the intriguing method used by the Prime Minister to greet his foreign minister, Hugo Swire, at the banquet earlier:
Interesting way David Cameron greeted his foreign minister @HugoSwire tonight at Buckingham Palace pic.twitter.com/K1oDZtNud1
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) October 20, 2015
Back inside the banquet, Xi and the guests are being treated to a somewhat eclectic music programme, courtesy of the Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra.
Here’s what they sound like at other times:
The music programme ranges from Robert Farnon’s The Westminster Waltz, through to Irish and Chinese folk songs and the Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby.
Updated
The focus of much of those protests, China’s human rights record, was raised earlier this evening by the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, when he met with Xi.
The Guardian’s Rowena Mason has filed a piece on the meeting, which Labour described as “cordial and constructive”.
A statement from Labour following Corbyn’s meeting stressed the good nature of the exchange, and praised “the remarkable Chinese achievements in poverty-reduction, lifting over 600 million people out of poverty”.
Discussion between Corbyn and Xi also ranged over historic links between the UK, Labour and China, the sacrifice of the Chinese people in the struggle against fascism during the second world war, and Xi’s New Silk Road strategy.
They then spoke about working together to address major threats to world security such as climate change, persistent economic inequality and international terrorism, as well as opportunities to upgrade cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and the UK.
Updated
The protests are meanwhile continuing outside. Matteo Mecacci, President of the International Campaign for Tibet, tweets:
At Bukingham palace right before the State banquet offered bybthe queen to Xi Jinping #ohmyqueen #Tibet pic.twitter.com/ZAKN0BOkPP
— Matteo Mecacci (@MatteoMecacci) October 20, 2015
Enda Brady of Sky News is also there:
The scene outside Buckingham Palace tonight as a state banquet takes place to welcome China's president pic.twitter.com/J7w0d0WxBe
— enda brady (@SkyEnda) October 20, 2015
Updated
So what to make of those carefully scripted words? Some early reaction from the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Julian Borger, who noted that Xi held up George Hogg as a British hero who helped China under Japanese occupation.
George Hogg was an AP journo from Harpenden, who was appalled at Japanese atrocities. Helped smuggle orphans to avoid conscription..
— Julian Borger (@julianborger) October 20, 2015
Xi says Hogg died taking students to safety. His webpage says he stubbed his toe playing basketball and got infected https://t.co/7lYbWQEbVL
— Julian Borger (@julianborger) October 20, 2015
Speeches out of the way, they can now start tucking in to that Balmoral Venison, and more:
Only the best for Comrade Xi .. What the Chinese Prezza, the Queen, Cameron & co are dining on at Buckingham Palace pic.twitter.com/Lk4Gxhycg0
— Ben Quinn (@BenQuinn75) October 20, 2015
Updated
Xi finishes with a toast:
To the prosperity of the UK and the happiness of its people.
To the everlasting thendship between China and the UK and their peopless
To the health of Your Majesty the Queen and Your Royal Highness Prince Philip, to the health of the members of the Royal Family and to the health of all the friends present.
Delving back into history, he adds:
The founding of New China in 1949 opened a new chapter in China-UK relationship. Britain was the first major Western country to recognize the People’s Republic of China.
In October 1986, Your Majesty and Your Royal Highness paid a successful state visit to China, marking a highlight in China-UK relationship.
In 1997, our two countries resolved the question of Hong Kong’s return to China in a creative way, turning a new page in bilateral relations.
Xi is on his feet now and is recalling the Second World War, telling those at the banquet that China will never forget the support it received from the UK at that time.
He says:
As a Chinese saying goes, “Nothing, not even mountains and oceans, can separate people with shared goals and vision.” This year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
As allies during the Second World War, China and Britain fought side by side to uphold justice, and made significant contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the establishment of the post-war international order anchored on the United Nations.
Updated
She ends by saying that “this global partnership is supported by an expanding network of links between the people Britain and China.
Mr. President, your visit is a defining moment in this very special year for our bilateral relationship. I am confident that it will serve to highlight the sincerity and warmth of our friendship and to strengthen relations between our countries for many years to come.
She goes on to mention that this year marks the seventieth anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations, adding:
Today the world faces challenges which call for collaboration between the nations: conflict and terrorism; poverty and ill-health; conservation and climate change.
As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Britain and China are stewards of the rules-based international system, and we have a responsibility to cooperate on these issues which have a direct bearing on the security and prosperity of all our peoples.
Praising China’s economic growth, she talks of how millions have been lifted out of poverty, telling the banquet:
Almost thirty years later, Mr Deng’s vision has borne remarkable fruit.
Rapid economic growth and development has transformed the lives of people across China and lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty: a huge and historic achievement with far reaching positive effects on people’s lives.
The Queen is now speaking, and starts by recalling the visit she and her husband made to China thirty years ago.
It was China’s desire to shape a new future which captivated them the most, she says, as Xi listens beside her.
We were struck by the energy and enthusiasm with which China’s leaders were forging ahead with a new and ambitious future for the Chinese people; and I well recall our discussions with the late paramount leader Mr. Deng Xiaoping, who was foremost among these leaders in setting a clear direction for China with his policy of reform.
It was also Mr. Deng’s visionary concept of One Country Two Systems which opened the way for the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Updated
To the strains of God Save the Queen, Xi Jinping and the Queen are now taking their seats.
In the meantime, we can now reveal details of they and other guests including David Cameron will be dining on.
Venison from the Queen’s estate at Balmoral is the main course on a menu that’s rather different from some of the fare which Xi is fond of using to burnish his ‘man of the people’ credentials back in Beijing. More here.
On the side is braised red cabbage, cocotte potatoes and timbale of celeriac and butternut squash.
Pudding comes in the form of delice of dark chocolate, mango and lime according to details of the menu, which has been released by the palace.
The wine list features French and South African choices, as well as 1977 Warre’s Vintage Port.
However, nurturers of Britain’s nascent wine industry with an eye on an emerging market, where appreciation of wine is a status symbol, might hope that senior communist party palettes will be tickled by the Ridgeview Grosvenor 2009, a sparking English wine originating in West Sussex.
Updated
And some early breaking news. The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, IS wearing white tie after all.
Cosmetic stuff of course in the general rough and tumble of political debate, but as stark an image as you might find to indicate just how far the former backbencher has travelled.
Here's a lo-res pic of Corbyn in white tie, if you like that sort of thing pic.twitter.com/fKpHdxdHTp
— Jess Brammar (@jessbrammar) October 20, 2015
Updated
Good evening and welcome to continued coverage on our liveblog of the first state visit to the UK in ten years by a Chinese premier, Xi Jinping.
Photographs are coming through of guests arriving for tonight’s state banquet at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen, are coming through, starting with Prince William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Mid-afternoon summary
- The Chinese president Xi Jinping has addressed British parliamentarians at the Palace of Westminster, in a speech focussed on historic binational ties, law and order, and China’s burgeoning economy.
- Introducing the president, speaker John Bercow said he hoped both countries would “aspire to be seen not merely as a powerful force in the world but a moral inspiration to it.”
- Earlier in the day, Xi and his wife spent the morning at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where he met the Prince of Wales on his first full day of engagements on his four-day state visit to Britain.
- The Chinese couple then travelled to Horse Guards Parade for a guard of honour, and were escorted to Buckingham Palace by carriage, as hundreds of pro-China protesters lined the Mall, drowning out Free Tibet and human rights activists.
- Xi had lunch with the Queen, viewed the Royal Collection’s Chinese artefacts, and exchanged gifts with the Royals, giving them two album’s of his pop star wife Peng Liyuan’s music.
- Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said Britain has its “eyes wide open” about China in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, though ministers expect more than 30 billion of trade and investment deals to be struck during the visit.
- Casting a long shadow over proceedings, Tata Steel has confirmed that nearly 1,200 jobs will go in Scunthorpe and Scotland, blaming China in part for the collapse of the industry.
- Cameron has promised to raise the steel crisis with President Xi but his spokesman would not confirm how forcefully the point about cheap Chinese imports would be made.
- President Xi will take tea with Prince Charles at Clarence House, before travelling back to Buckingham Palace for a state banquet, where he will be greeted by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has promised to raise human rights issues with the Chinese leader.
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Prince Charles and Camilla will not attend the banquet, hosted by the Queen, but Prince William will be present, and it will be the Duchess of Cambridge’s first state banquet since their marriage.
Cameron did not wear his translation headphones for the speech by President Xi - which was entirely in Mandarin. Has the prime minister been secretly swotting up on his Chinese?
My colleague Elena Cresci believes she can spy a fancy one-eared listening device in the prime minister’s ear, on the side away from the camera.
Updated
Perhaps the most controversial sentence of Xi’s speech?
Parliamentarians are the cream of a society.
He says he hopes British lawmakers “scale higher to see further” and praises the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group on China.
“We welcome you to visit China more often, to learn more about my country and experience it’s changes.”
He quotes Francis Bacon “wise men make more opportunities than the find”.
“China’s first code of statutes was compiled more than 2,000 years ago,” Xi continues in a section of the speech focussed on law and order.
“Today as the Chinese people are advancing the rule of law in an all round way, they draw inspiration not only from China’s own legal traditions, but also the best practices of other countries.
“Our goal is to ensure all are equal before the law,” he says, adding that the socialist system must have “distinctive Chinese features”. The priority is strict law, traditional justice and the building of a “law-abiding nation”, he says.
Xi is talking about the historic relationship between the UK and “new China”. He says that although China and the UK are located at opposite ends of the Eurasian continent, “we have a deep mutual affection.”
As expected, the focus is on economic ties. He names the UK as the largest offshore RMB trading centre, and says it hosts more Chinese students than any other EU country, as well as being the first western country to issue RMB sovereign bonds.
China and the UK are “increasingly inter-dependent and becoming a community of shared interests,” he says.
Updated
Xi Jinping is speaking now, he says entering the Palace of Westminster is like “going back in time.”
Xi Jinping addresses the Palace of Westminster
Speaker John Bercow is introducing Xi Jinping.
He says: “Your visit here today reinforces the links between the United Kingdom and China, social and personal, as well as economic and political, and all the stronger for it.”
The Chinese people have “many, many friends in this parliament,” Bercow says, adding that China has “engaged in an experience and experiment without equal in history, attempting to complete an industrial revolution which took Britain two centuries in little more than two decades.”
“The enormous challenge how to deal with this falls to you and your colleagues,” he continues. “What China does economically and political is relevant not merely to your own 1.5bn citzens, it is relevant to billions more across the globe.”
“The world will be watching and waiting expectantly as the emerging superpower that is China takes its new place in the world.
“We should all aspire to be seen not merely as a powerful force in the world but a moral inspiration to it.”
Updated
My colleague Ben Quinn just took this Vine of Cameron and Corbyn deep in conversation. Corbyn appears to be giving an almost imperceptible nod. What are they talking about?
Oh to know what's being said here as they wait for Xi Jinping https://t.co/YgcDfXviIM
— Ben Quinn (@BenQuinn75) October 20, 2015
Peers and MPs are inside the Great Hall, waiting for the address. Jeremy Corbyn and David Cameron are sitting next to each other.
Awaiting Xi Jinping's historic address to parliament's Lords and Commons https://t.co/jweE5TsoUo
— Matt Warman MP (@mattwarman) October 20, 2015
Listening to Chinese President Xi Jinping address MPs and peers in Parliament #ChinaStateVisit
— David Mackintosh MP (@davidmackintosh) October 20, 2015
Looking forward to hearing what President of #China, Xi Jinping, will have to say, addressing both Houses of Parliament, in Royal Gallery.
— Lindsay Northover (@LPNorthover) October 20, 2015
The Guardian’s diplomatic editor looks ahead to Xi’s imminent speech in Westminster.
MPs and Lords are gathering in the Palace of Westminster to hear Xi Jinping speak in the next half hour.
Normally on these occasions, visiting dignatories start by paying homage to the ‘mother of parliament’ and wax on about shared democratic lineage.
Xi will no doubt give that a miss, but can fall back on a favourite of UK-China speeches noting that these are two very old countries - though China of course is much, much older.
Here are some other points to look for in the speech:
- It is possible he will use the opportunity to make an announcement of a trade or investment deal, perhaps even the much-awaited nuclear deal, though on balance such an announcement is more likely to come when Xi meets David Cameron at Downing Street tomorrow.
- A virtual certainty is an emphasis on the economic opportunities offered by bilateral trade and investment. This is the main point of the visit, and something on which both governments emphatically agree.
- What will be particularly interesting to look for are any reflections on the wider world, and China’s place in it, especially in relation to any of the current global crises. Xi’s leadership has been all about flexing Chinese muscle around the world, and he will be watched carefully for assertive rhetoric in Westminster today.
Updated
In her 63 years on the throne, the Queen is unlikely to have ever been presented with a gift quite like the one Xi Jinping brought to Buckingham Palace.
The Chinese president has given the monarch two albums of Chinese folk music - recorded by his wife Madame Peng, who was formerly a famous pop star.
Here’s some samples her hits:
Her albums include My Fellow Countrymen, China Golden Voice and Smooth Sailing, as well as a Greatest Hits release, but it is not known which one has been gifted for the Buckingham Palace household iPod.
Xi also presented the Queen with a 1.18 metre long work of embroidery, a large porcelain dish, a woodcarving and a stamp booklet.
The Queen’s first gift was not exactly imaginative, she gave them a pair of silver framed photographs of herself and Duke of Edinburgh, the same gift she gives every world leader.
She also presented Peng with a pair of Royal Crown Derby candlesticks, and Xi with a collection of Shakespeare’s sonnets, in a specially commissioned leather and gilt box, made by the Windsor Castle bindery.
That may be a more thoughtful gift than it would appear at first glance - Xi is renowned as a lover of literature in his home country, peppering his speeches with classical Chinese poetic references, according to this article in the WSJ.
Updated
There’s no reporters on site, so we’re relying on tweets from inside the Palace to give us an indication of Xi’s movements.
He’s currently viewing exhibition in the picture gallery at Buckingham Palace of “items from the Royal Collection relating to China”, along with the Chinese ambassador. Xi will shortly be heading to address Parliament.
The Queen & The Duke show Their Excellencies a Royal Collection display of items relating to China #ChinaStateVisit pic.twitter.com/ZtP6K7hvKO
— BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) October 20, 2015
The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall & Ambassador Liu Xiaoming view the Royal Collection display #UKChina pic.twitter.com/4N6oey4Gun
— BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) October 20, 2015
Ambassador Chang Yen Hoon presented Queen Victoria with this porcelain vase for her Diamond Jubilee #ChinaStateVisit pic.twitter.com/Oz1npo06Wm
— BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) October 20, 2015
Updated
This is the lunch Xi Jinping is being served at Buckingham Palace, according to the official British monarchy Twitter account.
It appears to be a half an egg, some lettuce and a bit of pâté - hope he’s not too hungry.
Lunch is served at Buckingham Palace #ChinaStateVisit pic.twitter.com/y5aH19FCwm
— BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) October 20, 2015
We’ve just seen pictures from Prince Charles’ meeting with Xi Jinping at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. No reporters were present at the meeting, which included Peng Liyuan and the Duchess of Cornwall.
The only refreshments that appeared to be on offer at the meeting, judging by the pictures, were glasses of water - though Xi does have a day of extravagant eating ahead of him.
The meeting took place in private - most likely because of the uneasy relationship the Chinese government has with the heir to the throne, who is a supporter of the Dalai Lama and once described the country’s politicians as “appalling old waxworks” after the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.
Buckingham Palace has insisted Charles is not snubbing the president when he misses the state banquet this evening - he is said to just be in need of a rest. Charles and Camilla also joined the Queen’s lunch at Buckingham Palace and attended the ceremony at Horse Guard’s Parade.
But his non-attendance may bring back uncomfortable memories of the row caused in 1999 when Charles also refused to attend the banquet for then-president Jiang Zemin.
Charles’s former aide Mark Bolland alleged that snub had been deliberate. “He did not approve of the Chinese regime, and is a great supporter of the Dalai Lama, whom he views as being oppressed by the Chinese,” he wrote in his book.
But Charles chose not to see the Dalai Lama during his visit to the UK last month, perhaps mindful of the row that ensued when David Cameron met the Dalai Lama in 2012, and China cancelled diplomatic meetings.
Updated
Lunchtime round-up
- Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived at Buckingham Palace for lunch with the Queen, on his first full day of engagements on his four-day state visit to Britain.
- Xi spent the morning at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where he met the Prince of Wales, who will not be attending tonight’s state banquet.
- Hundreds of pro-China protests lined the Mall with red flags, banners and posters, creating a carnival atmosphere with dragon performers and drumming to welcome Xi to Britain - and to drown out human rights protesters.
- Free Tibet activists, along with members of Amnesty International, were swamped by the sheer number of co-ordinated pro-Chinese demonstrators.
- Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said Britain has its “eyes wide open” about China in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, though ministers expect more than 30 billion of trade and investment deals to be struck during the four-day visit.
- Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan were welcomed to Horse Guards parade by a 41-gun salute, a guard of honour from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, and greeted dignataries including David Cameron and Theresa May.
- Tata Steel has confirmed that nearly 1,200 jobs will go in Scunthorpe and Scotland, blaming China in part for the collapse of the industry in a statement which rained on the parade today.
- Cameron’s spokesman has said the PM will not reveal how strongly he is prepared to object to China’s steel-dumping in his meetings with Xi but said the matter would be raised.
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Xi is set to visit the Houses of Parliament this afternoon, before a state banquet at Buckingham Palace this evening, where the Chinese couple will spend the night.
In the House of Commons just now, Speaker John Bercow appears to have made a sly dig at the Chinese president during a question which compared the UK’s relationship with China and India. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is visiting the UK next month
Labour MP Keith Vaz said: “Can I join you in welcoming the visit of Narendra Modi, which has caused huge excitement among the British Indian community in places like London and indeed in Leicester? And will this enable the Government to send out a message that it’s not just learning Chinese that is important, that a bit of Hindi would go down well in our bilateral relations?”
Responding, Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire replied: “I very much hope you are now not going to test me on my Hindi” adding that the country was looking forward to welcoming Modi.
But then in an intervention, and to loud intakes of breath in the chamber, Bercow said:
And of course the Indian prime minister is the representative of a great democracy.
Xi is due to meet Bercow when he addresses the Commons later this afternoon.
Here’s some drama from the ceremony which the TV cameras didn’t pick up, one of the guard of honour from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards appears to have passed out just before Xi’s arrival, and fallen head first onto the red gravel.
He was quickly picked up by a colleague and escorted away from the scene, PA reports.
If you’re keeping up with the identical Chinese flags and t-shirts plot (which isn’t really a plot because everyone knows what’s going on anyway) - Peter Walker has some developments.
The "who provided the banners" plot thickens. One box of flags was sent as diplomatic package to Chinese embassy pic.twitter.com/zUy3OrqL6Z
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
Well, the plot doesn't thicken in that everyone knew the banners were embassy-arranged. But amusing no one admits it.
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
Our Beijing correspondent brings us some reaction from China on the pomp and ceremony of Xi’s welcome.
As you might expect, there’s been no mention of the protests along the Mall on Chinese government-run media.
Rather, we’ve had lots and lots of talk about the pomp and circumstance being afforded to China’s leader.
“As Xi Jinping alights from his car, royal salutes will be fired across London,” gushed the CCTV presenter hosting a live broadcast of today’s ceremony.
“You can hear as he nears Buckingham the roar going up,” enthused the channel’s correspondent on the ground. “Excited Chinese nationals perhaps seeing their president for the first time. Certainly seeing the Queen for the first time.”
Wang Yiwei, a Chinese academic who is anchoring a television broadcast of the first day’s action, tells viewers Xi’s trip is about mixing the best of both nations.
“The UK is the number one soft power country in the world,” he says. “ [This is] soft power and hard power cooperation.”
Updated
The Birmingham Mail reports today that George Osborne personally intervened to Xi Jinping to visit Manchester, not the Midlands, during his four-day tour.
According to the paper, several key figures had lobbied for the Chinese president to visit Birmingham, including John Lewis chairman Andy Street and Business Secretary Sajid Javid, the Business Secretary, who is MP for Bromsgrove.
The visit to Birmingham was reportedly set be used to announce the relocation of hundreds of jobs to Birmingham for Chinese car manufacturer Changan Automobile, as well as other infrastructure announcements.
However, Xi will now fly to Manchester, Osborne’s preferred destination because of his “northern powerhouse” initiative, where he will have lunch at Manchester town hall, visit Manchester University and tour Manchester City’s stadium with David Cameron - though he is rumoured to be a Manchester United fan.
A council source told the Birmingham Mail a business summit would be held on Wednesday for Chinese investors instead, saying: “We are meeting the money men, which is what matters most.”
Downing Street would not comment on the speculation.
David Cameron’s spokesman will not reveal how strongly he is prepared to object to China’s steel-dumping in his meetings with Xi.
She would only say he will “raise” the matter and discuss how the actions of one country can impact on another.
There is little sense that he plans to complain forcefully about China’s behaviour.
“There are a number of challenges - competitive pricing from China is one of them,” she said, when asked whether Cameron agrees with the UK steel industry that Chinese dumping is to blame for its predicament.
Our diplomatic editor has been with the crowds outside Horse Guards Parade as the President arrived.
As the procession went past an array of big red and gold banners spelling out the message “Welcome Big Buddy Xi” the mostly Chinese crowd whooped in delight.
They had been there since 8am some of them and had just enough battery power to take a selfie with the Queen and Xi riding by in the background
Many in the crowd were exquisitely attuned to the nuances of royal protocol. Jing Aarons who lives in Knightsbridge said that it was very rare for a visiting head of state to ride in the Queen’s golden carriage.
“That almost never happens. Putin rode in an open-topped carriage. This is very special,” she said and leapt into the air with pure joy.
The Guardian’s correspondent watched the Diamond Jubilee State coach sweep down past the protesters on the Mall.
As Xi finally went past amid a parade of coaches, horsemen and security in Range Rovers, the Tibet protesters yelled and waved their flags, now behind three rows of barriers and police.
The Chinese crowd next to them also yelled and honked vuvuzelas, but there was no real rancour or aggression from either group.
And then it was done. Would Xi have seen the protest? Maybe, if he was looking in the right direction.
Would he have noticed the vastly more numerous supportive crowd and their much bigger flags and banners, everywhere else on the Mall? Definitely.
Updated
Xi Jinping arrives at Buckingham Palace
The Queen, Philip, Mr Xi and Madame Peng pose for a photograph at the grand entrance of the palace pic.twitter.com/cq3fh00lOM
— PA Royal Reporters (@PARoyal) October 20, 2015
The Queen and Mr Xi arrive back at the palace following the procession pic.twitter.com/cva2LebgLR
— PA Royal Reporters (@PARoyal) October 20, 2015
Updated
Julian Borger, the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, was at the ceremony watching the cavalry process down to Horse Guards Parade.
Updated
Here’s Xi Jinping at Horse Guards Parade a few moments ago. The Chinese couple and the Royals are now arriving at Buckingham Palace.
At London’s Horse Guards Parade - Henry VIII’s former jousting yard - David Cameron shook hands with Xi, who has hailed the visit as an “important moment”.
The Queen also introduced the President to Home Secretary Theresa May, Alan Yarrow, the Lord Mayor of the City of London and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.
Military top brass were also presented to China’s leader - General Sir Nicholas Houghton, Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Sir Philip Jones, The Fleet Commander, General Sir Nicholas Carter, Chief of the General Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, Chief of the Air Staff.
Here’s what went on during the short ceremony, according to the Press Association:
Before the Queen and president on Horse Guards Parade was a guard of honour comprising 96 rank and file men and three officers from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
Major Benjamin Jesty, captain of the guard of honour, marched forward and presented his men giving the order in Mandarin.
Speaking the language he has been practising for a number of weeks he said: “The Guard of Honour of 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards is present, formed up and ready for your inspection Sir”.
Philip joined the Chinese leader as he walked past the two rows of guardsmen wearing their scarlet tunics and bearskins.
Updated
On the Mall, the drumming from pro-China protesters is drowning up the chants of ‘Free Tibet’ from Amnesty International and other groups.
You can really hear the sheer noise of those Chinese groups in this video by Peter Walker.
Xi Jinping arrives at Horse Guards Parade
Xi Jinping has arrived at the welcome ceremony, the Queen is escorting the Chinese President into the gold carriage, and Prince Philip is following with Peng Liyuan.
Queen & Philip probably haven't been greeted by such crowds on the Mall for a while. Yes, 98% Chinese. But very keen nonetheless.
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have arrived now at Horse Guards Parade, in effect to collect President Xi for his short carriage ride to Buckingham Palace along the Mall.
There will be a 41 gun salute - a key part of every state visit by a national leader. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan will have an “informal lunch” with the Royals after their trip down the Mall.
Queen and David Cameron arriving at Horseguards Parade for welcome ceremony - live stream
Xi Jinping is about to arrive at Buckingham Palace - watch this live stream for his meeting with the Queen and the welcome ceremony.
A guard of honour is welcoming the Chinese first couple on the Mall, which is decked in the flags of China and the UK. David Cameron and Theresa May have already arrived, and the Queen has departed from Buckingham Palace.
The Chinese national anthem will be played and presentations made, as the Queen and Prince Philip accompany Xi and Peng in a state carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, where the president and his wife will lunch with the Queen and view items from the Royal Collection in the picture gallery of the palace.
Updated
John Clark, community union rep for Dalzell, has just spoken to reporters outside the Tata steel plant in Motherwell, and criticised David Cameron’s approach to his meeting with Xi Jinping.
“David Cameron is putting out the red carpet for the Chinese president. He be putting demands on the table instead,” Clark said.
“He must see that this has been an ongoing situation and we have been trying to make the UK government aware of the situation for over two years.”
Tata had earlier blamed cheap Chinese imports in part for the job cuts announced today.
Updated
Kate Allen, the UK director of Amnesty International, has been speaking to the Guardian’s Peter Walker at the protest on the Mall.
Everything we’ve heard about this visit suggests human rights are not on the agenda and that’s not acceptable.
China has a government where there are more executions in that one country than in the rest of the world combined, a government that has recently arrested 245 lawyers who have been working for ordinary people against the state and its corruption.
Here’s the full interview:
Updated
There’s a stronger showing from human rights protesters now as the time for Xi to sweep down the Mall draws closer.
The Guardian’s Simon Jenkins has been examining whether there is in indeed any point to Britain “raising human rights” with the Chinese government during a state visit.
British ministers are to “raise human right concerns” with their Chinese guests this week. What on earth for? It is impolite, pointless, hypocritical and probably counter-productive. We are cringing supplicants for Chinese capital – as we claim to be for Saudi “intelligence”. What has this to do with human rights?
The itch to pass judgment on other people’s affairs is the occupational disease of British rulers. Sometime it drives us wretchedly to war, as in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya.
Otherwise it is merely rude, a diplomatic tic, a state of mind. If I were a Chinese at dinner tonight and a British minister dared to mention human rights, I would reply in kind.
Read the full piece here:
Joshua Wong, the student who became one of the most prominent faces of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy umbrella movement, is in London to protest the president’s visit.
He spoke at the Oxford Union last night.
We hope to let Xi know that it is not possible to arrest people all over the world.
However, the most important thing is the attitude of the British prime minister. He needs to raise the issue. Otherwise Xi will continue to focus on the core issue of investment.
There’s a party atmosphere down on the Mall as the pro-Chinese demonstrators await Xi’s carriage.
Pro Chinese at #ChinaStateVisit @bbc5live pic.twitter.com/TCwu0mrwok
— Lesley Ashmall (@lesleyashmall) October 20, 2015
Here's a dragon giving it laldy. https://t.co/VrA0NSBLYU
— Jamie Ross (@JamieRoss7) October 20, 2015
If Xi Jinping does spot any human rights protesters as he sweeps down the Mall to Buckingham Palace in about an hour, he’ll need to look pretty carefully.
So far a mere 15 or so metres of one side of the street is set aside for a few dozen protesters from the Falungong spiritual group, banned as a”cult” in China in 1999 and brutally repressed since. Some more rights activists are due there soon.
The rest of the Mall is filled with many thousands of Chinese nationals beating flags and banners to welcome their president. It’s a massive turnout, many deep already near the palace and several deep further away.
The people I talked to - mainly young, many of them students in London - were reluctant to talk about human rights.
“I don’t know much about this group,” said Lulu Guo, an interior design student from southern China. “I’m here because it’s exciting to see our president.”
There is clearly a significant element of organisation about the pro-Xi crowds, with many in identical “I heart China” t-shirts and carrying identical banners on telescopic poles.
Some of the crowd insisted they had made the flags and banners themselves, but they could be seen being removed from boxes carrying freight labels from China Southern, an airline.
One group of students referred all media to their “leader”, a man from Beijing who said he was a teacher on holiday with no official position.
Despite the supposed ban on drums to drown out any human rights chants, there are many drummers here now.
Updated
Our correspondent Peter Walker has found the source of the Chinese banners on the Mall for the protest today - they are, unsurprisingly, made in China. The Chinese written on the box shows that 270 pieces, weighing 4,024kg were shipped from the southern city of Guangzhou to Beijing earlier this month by China Southern Airlines.
If pro-Xi banners are all London made, seems odd they come in boxes bearing China Southern airline cargo labels... pic.twitter.com/DUL9WVjxpx
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
Updated
Tata Steel has confirmed that nearly 1,200 jobs will go in Scunthorpe and Scotland, blaming China in part for the collapse of the industry in a statement that will hang heavy over today’s ceremonial proceedings.
Tata said: there have been “a shift in market conditions caused by a flood of cheap imports, particularly from China, a strong pound and high electricity costs.”
Follow our live coverage of the steel crisis here:
There’s quite a trend in the adverts in this morning’s Financial Times - six full-page Chinese state-owned company adverts welcoming Xi Jinping to London, and a seventh centred on China from French bank BNP Paribas.
Bit of a theme in the adverts in the FT this morning #ChinaStateVisit pic.twitter.com/pwFKqzXqdu
— Jessica Elgot (@jessicaelgot) October 20, 2015
Xi Jinping seems to be single-handedly reviving print advertising in the FT this morning
— John Gapper (@johngapper) October 20, 2015
Updated
There seems to be an unnerving uniformity to the “homemade” decorations the Chinese supporters have brought to their protest on the Mall.
Pro-Xi protesters have hundreds of identical giant banners on metal poles... but all insist they made them themselves.
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
I ask one young man why all the boxes the banners came from were identical. "We must have all gone to the same print shop," he replies.
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
The Press Association’s Joe Nerssessian has the (rather obvious) explanation.
@peterwalker99 Chinese woman just confirmed they've come from embassy. Tshirts and hats too
— Joe Nerssessian (@joenerssessian) October 20, 2015
Updated
Britain will regret closer China ties - expert
China expert James McGregor has some harsh words for the politicians cosying up to Xi on this visit, warning that Britain is acting like a “panting puppy” which it would come to bitterly regret.
The chairman of consultancy group APCO Worldwide’s Chinese operations told the Today programme:
This is incredible what’s going on right now, with the British Government saying ‘we want to be your best friend, we want to be your best friend, we’ll do anything for it’.
Well, if you act like a panting puppy, the object of your attention is going to think they have got you on a leash.
China does not respect people that suck up to him. I think England is going to rue the day they did this.
Updated
It’s certainly looking like a celebratory atmosphere on the Mall this morning, with pro-China protesters far outnumbering any human rights demonstrators so far.
I’ve been speaking to Willy Lam, the author of a recent book on Xi Jinping, about the state visit.
Lam thinks China’s strongman leader will be overjoyed with the reception he receives today as he is taken to Buckingham Palace.
“I think he will feel ecstatic. He will feel out of this world. The British royalty is perhaps the most storied monarchy in the world. Being afforded this welcome will give him a similar feeling to what he must have felt when he was overseeing the military parade in Beijing on 3 September,” he says.
Lam believes today’s pomp and circumstance has significant political value to Xi Jinping whose domestic reputation as an all-powerful commander-in-chief has suffered this year because of the stock market turmoil in China. “His popularity has been dented,” Lam says. “Many people have lost money.”
Lam thinks Xi’s reception in London will help him bolster China’s reputation as a “semi-super power”. But, for Britain, the decision to roll out the reddest of carpets comes at a price.
“British people should know that this enthusiastic welcome that is being afforded to Xi Jinping will be used by the Communist party’s propaganda department to burnish the reputation of an authoritarian leader who has significantly stepped up the crackdown on all kinds of dissent,” he says.
Many in Hong Kong, the former British colony where Lam lives, were furious that David Cameron appeared to be ignoring its struggle to wrestle democracy from Beijing.
“Britain has not said a single word but instead seems to be cuddling up to the new emperor,” he said.
Peter Walker has been out speaking to pro-Chinese demonstrators at the meticulously organised demonstration on The Mall this morning.
Pro Xi demo v organised. Lots of professional-looking banners & "I heart China" T shirts. Many look like students. pic.twitter.com/m2oyY7hFtn
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
Here's one of the many boxes of flags being handed out to pro-Xi crowd on the Mall. Almost all have flags. pic.twitter.com/4y6fAUX88c
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
When it comes to sheer acreage of flags and banners, the human rights protesters are looking vastly outnumbered. pic.twitter.com/0D76ifEIyb
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
London restaurant worker originally from Guangdong, S China poses with giant Mao picture on Mall pic.twitter.com/bs8S7p8hLQ
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
Updated
Hammond: Britain has 'eyes wide open'
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said Britain has its “eyes wide open” about China in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He said:
I don’t think we are naive. It’s very much in our national interest to engage with China but we do so with our eyes wide open,” he added.
I think we are developing a mature relationship with the Chinese. They know that we are looking not just to China but to many other countries for infrastructure investment in the UK.
One of the key issues David Cameron has been urged to raise is the proliferation of cheaper Chinese steel and its devastating effect on British industry.
The prime minister promised in the Commons on Monday that steel would be on his list of topics to discuss, as UK firm Caparo announced it was entering partial administration, with some 1,700 steel jobs at risk.
Thousands more jobs have been lost in Redcar, Scunthorpe and Scotland earlier this month.
Hammond told Radio 4 Today:
If we had steel prices in the UK that were far out of line with the steel prices in other countries, our downstream industries would not be able to be competitive with the products they produce.
So, we have got to get the balance right. Trying to protect our steel industry in a sensible way, which we are doing, but recognising that we operating in a global economy and we can’t simply build a wall around the UK.
Updated
The Guardian’s Beijing correspondent has been looking over the Chinese press this morning.
There are cartoons galore in Chinese state media today, commemorating the start of Xi Jinping’s state visit to Britain.
Xinhua, China’s official news agency, has a three-minute animation showing Chairman Xi jetting off the London.
“This is the first state visit to the UK in 10 years,” a voice over enthuses. “You know how important it is!”
The cartoon features a mockup of the giant red carpet down which Xi will strut later on today.
Editors at the China Daily have opted for a video listicle celebrating what politicians are calling the “golden friendship” between London and Beijing.
Meanwhile in Chinese state media (answers: binge drinking, Susan Boyle, a belief in ghosts) https://t.co/ywoXqGFi7c pic.twitter.com/onVWxYawSg
— Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsin) October 20, 2015
Among its list of the “29 things that Chinese and British share” the newspaper highlights binge drinking, politicians who like smoking, period dramas, great philosophers, a fondness for Susan Boyle and Jackie Chan, a passion for boat racing and.... comfy trains!
Updated
Pro-China groups gather on the Mall to drown out protesters
Members of the pro-China protest are out on the Mall already to greet Xi Jinping, but their plans to drown out human rights demonstrators with a chorus of drumming have been scuppered by the royal parks regulations.
My colleagues Ben Quinn and Vikram Dodd report this morning that the drummers cannot play in St James’ Park.
Hundreds of protesters from Amnesty International, pro-Tibetan groups and other Chinese dissident groups are also planning to gather in the park on Tuesday morning before Xi is driven along the Mall to Buckingham Palace.
It seems the pro-China protesters are earlier risers, according to Peter Walker.
I'm on the Mall ahead of Xi Jinping's arrival at Buckingham Palace later. So far the pro-China protesters greatly outnumber the antis.
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
So far the only protesters I've seen are Falungong people. They're penned in while pro Xi folk can go anywhere pic.twitter.com/pgXLxMVmHz
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2015
Updated
Last night, Prince William made a direct appeal to Chinese people to boycott ivory and other endangered animal products used in traditional medicine.
The country is a key consumer of ivory, with demand for the valuable tusks threatening dwindling elephant populations.
The speech at King’s College London, on the eve of the presidential visit, was recorded for popular Chinese television show “Let’s Talk” - greeting viewers in Mandarin by saying xiexie, hen gaoxing he ni jianmian - “Thank you, I’m pleased to meet you.”
“In the 33 years since I was born, we have lost around 70 percent of Africa’s elephant population. Of those that are left, 20,000 are being killed every year - that is 54 elephants killed every single day,” William said, in a speech that acknowledged the role his own ancesters had played in fuelling the demand for luxury goods made from wild species.
“At this rate, children born this year, like my daughter Charlotte, will see the last wild elephants and rhinos die before their 25th birthdays,” he said.
William, who is one of the tallest members of the Royal family at 6ft 3, still had to crane his neck as he met legendary Chinese Basketball player Yao Ming, who is more than a foot taller at 7ft 6.
Here’s the official schedule for Xi’s activities today:
9.15am Charles and Camilla go to greet Xi at Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge
10.30am Ceremonial welcome by Queen on Horse Guards Parade
11.45am State carriage arrival at Buckingham Palace - protesters are expected to demonstrate on the Mall as the president arrives to highlight human rights abuses in China
1.30pm Xi will view a display of Chinese items in Royal Collection
3.15pm The Chinese president will address both Houses of Parliament
4.20pm Tea with Charles and Camilla at Clarence House
5.00pm Xi will be greeted by Prince William then meet Jeremy Corbyn at Buckingham Palace prior to State Banquet, which the Duchess of Cambridge will also attend
7.20pm Speeches at the State Banquet speeches at Buckingham Palace
Here’s Xi Jinping arriving with his wife Peng Liyuan at Heathrow Airport last night for the four-day state visit.
China's Xi Jinping UK visit - day 1
Good morning, we’re liveblogging the visit of Xi Jinping, the first visit to Britain by a Chinese president in a decade.
- The state visit by Chinese president Xi Jinping will be an “important moment” for relations between the UK and Beijing, David Cameron said ahead of the first official engagements of the tour.
- Ministers expect more than 30 billion of trade and investment deals to be struck during the four-day visit. Among the business deals set to be sealed is an accord that could see the Chinese take a key role in constructing nuclear plants at Hinkley Point in Somerset, Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex.
- In the Commons on Monday, Cameron also confirmed that the crisis in the steel industry would be raised with the Chinese.
- Downing Street has rejected accusations of “kowtowing” to Beijing for the sake of commercial deals, insisting that no subject will be off the table in talks.
- Protesters from Free Tibet, Amnesty UK and other groups are planning to shine a spotlight on China’s human rights violations, gathering near the Mall to demonstrate as Xi passes by in a state carriage procession to Buckingham Palace. A rival pro-China protest is also due at the same location.
- Xi will address both Houses of Parliament today and the the Prime Minister has also invited the president to his official Chequers country retreat.
- Other guests at Buckingham Palace tonight as well as the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, will be Cameron, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and other politicians and dignitaries.
- Corbyn has pledged to raise rights issues when he calls on Xi at the palace ahead of the state banquet.
- This will be the first state banquet at Buckingham Palace for Duchess of Cambridge will attend her this evening, with frenzied speculation on fashion sites about what tiara she will choose for the event.
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The Prince of Wales, who is a supporter of the Dalai Lama and who has had a difficult relationship with China’s leadership in the past, will miss the state banquet in the evening but will greet Xi and his wife at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and escort them to Horse Guards Parade for the ceremonial welcome.
