Chinese delegation barred from visiting Queen Elizabeth’s lying in state, report says
- Zheng Zeguang, China’s ambassador to Britain, was barred from visiting Parliament last year after MPs sanctioned by Beijing
- Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan expected to arrive in London on Sunday and attend state funeral on Monday
Members of the public file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth in Westminster Hall in London. Photo: Pool/AFP
The House of Commons has barred a delegation of Chinese government officials from visiting Queen Elizabeth’s lying in state at Westminster Hall in the latest political rift between London and Beijing, Politico reported on Friday.
House Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has told colleagues that he turned down a request by the Chinese government, Politico said, citing a senior parliamentary figure familiar with the matter.
A Commons spokesman declined to comment on Friday, saying they do not discuss “security matters”. Britain’s Foreign Office did not respond to request for comment on Friday.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said she had not seen the report, but said the UK should “follow the diplomatic protocols and proper manners to receive guests”.
China is one of dozens of nations with diplomatic ties to Britain invited to attend Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral on Monday, with Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan expected to arrive in London on Sunday and attend the funeral.
Russia, Belarus and Myanmar are the only countries known not to receive invitations from the British government.
Queen Elizabeth’s funeral is being held at Westminster Abbey in central London, but she is lying in state at Westminster Hall, the oldest building on the parliamentary campus.
Hoyle and John McFall, the speaker of the House of Lords, barred Zheng Zeguang, China’s ambassador to Britain, from attending Parliament last year after Beijing sanctioned several British lawmakers who have been outspoken about purported human rights abuses against ethnic Muslim Uygurs in the Western region of Xinjiang.
In general, visiting heads of state have been invited to visit Westminster Hall to view the queen’s coffin and sign a book of condolence at Lancaster House. Zheng signed the book of condolence at Lancaster House on Tuesday.
Queen Elizabeth’s mother and father, and former prime minister Winston Churchill have all lain in state in the 11th century building, which also has hosted speeches by world leaders, including Nelson Mandela and former US president Barack Obama.
The lying in state snub comes as public sentiment hardens and distrust grows about China in Britain, a decade after former prime minister David Cameron celebrated a “golden era” of investment and cooperation between the nations.
On Wednesday, Conservative lawmakers Tim Loughton, Iain Duncan Smith and other MPs sanctioned by Beijing wrote to the Commons speaker and the foreign secretary, asking for them to rescind the invitation for Chinese officials to attend Monday’s funeral.
“Given that the United Kingdom Parliament has voted to recognise the genocide committed by the Chinese government against Uygur people, it is extraordinary that the architects of that genocide should be treated in any more favourable way than those countries who have been barred [from the funeral],” Loughton and other MPs wrote in the letter.
Monday’s funeral is expected to attract dozens of world leaders and members of royalty, with US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japan’s Emperor Naruhito all saying they would attend.
King Charles, centre, and other members of the royal family hold a vigil at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday. Photo: Pool/AP
Chinese President Xi Jinping was invited, but is not expected to attend. Xi sent a message of deep condolence to King Charles on September 9, the day after Queen Elizabeth’s death at the age of 96.
The political dust-up came on the same day that the queue to see the queen’s coffin was temporarily suspended after it reached capacity on Friday morning, stretching more than 8km (5 miles) along the Thames into Southwark Park.
Members of the public who passed through Westminster Hall on Friday morning said they had queued more than 11 hours for a chance to say a last goodbye to Britain’s longest-serving monarch. The estimated waiting time before the queue was paused on Friday morning was more than 14 hours.
Officials have estimated that 400,000 people could file past the coffin before the lying in state period ends at 6.30am BST on Monday (1:30pm Hong Kong time).
It also came just hours before King Charles and his siblings were set to conduct a silent vigil beside their mother’s coffin on Friday evening. The king and his siblings took similar positions earlier this week while she lied in rest in Edinburgh for 24 hours earlier this week.
King Charles travelled to Wales on Friday as part of a mourning tour that has taken him across the country to celebrate his mother’s life and her 70-year reign. At 73, King Charles is the oldest person to become Britain’s monarch.
The king and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, received a gun salute at Cardiff Castle before attending a service of prayer and reflection at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.
King Charles received a motion of condolence Friday at the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, and was expected to meet with the first minister of Wales before returning to London.
“Through all the years of her reign, the land of Wales could not have been closer to my mother’s heart,” the king said, delivering his speech in both Welsh and English. “I know she took immense pride in your many great achievements, even as she also felt with you deeply in time of sorrow. It must surely be counted the greatest privilege to belong to a land that could inspire such devotion.”
King Charles had served as Prince of Wales since he was nine years old as heir to the throne. His son, Prince William, will now serve as Prince of Wales.
Now who's being rude?
