Death of Queen Chinese government delegation to Westminster Palace to offer blocked condolences, sparking political unrest – BBC News 中文

When asked about the matter at a press conference on Sept. 16, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said he had not seen any relevant reports. She said: “Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral is an important event in the United Kingdom. Attending the event at the invitation of the British side shows respect for the late Queen and for the United Kingdom. The British side, as a guest, should maintain diplomatic etiquette and hospitality. street. “

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According to Hong Kong media, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan will be in the UK for the queen’s funeral. However, Mao Ning only said at the press conference on the 16th that China is considering sending a high-level delegation to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and “will release relevant information in due course.”

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It was unclear whether the Speaker of the House of Commons had excluded the “high-level delegation” from Westminster Hall.

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political turmoil

In March 2021, China announced sanctions on “nine British individuals and four entities for maliciously spreading lies and false information,” including seven British MPs who have been harshly critical of human rights in Xinjiang, accusing Beijing of mistreating Muslims. Uighurs.

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On Thursday (September 15), seven British Conservative MPs, including Ian Duncan Smith and Tim Laughton, who were sanctioned by China, wrote to the British Foreign Minister, calling on the UK to lift sanctions against Chinese President Xi Jinping. at the queen’s funeral.

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In their letter, they claimed that the presence of a Chinese delegation at the queen’s funeral was “completely inappropriate” given the Chinese government’s human rights situation.

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The letter also says that it is “extraordinary” to invite the “designer” who committed the genocide of the Uyghur minority.

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A spokesman for the British prime minister said that, as usual, representatives of all countries that have diplomatic relations with the UK are invited to attend the state funeral.

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Britain will hold a state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II on Monday (September 19), with world leaders and members of the royal family expected to attend the largest funeral in decades.

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Invitations to the funeral were sent out over the weekend and around 500 foreign dignitaries are expected to attend, including heads of state and members of the royal family. Those confirmed to attend the funeral include US President Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Mattarella, and European Commission President von der Leyen.

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping is also on the UK guest list, but he is not expected to attend. From 15 to 16 September Xi Jinping attended the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan and held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is Xi Jinping’s first overseas visit in nearly three years since the start of the new corona epidemic.

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The Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing “considers sending a high-level delegation”.

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image source,PA Medium

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Some Hong Kong media have revealed that Wang Qishan will travel to the UK to attend the queen’s funeral.

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After the death of the Queen of England, Wang Qishan went to the British Embassy in China to offer his condolences.

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Wang Qishan said Queen Elizabeth II is a promoter and contributes to the development of China-UK relations. She is the first British monarch to visit China. You have received many Chinese leaders visiting the UK and have made a positive contribution to the development of China-UK relations.

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In 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping also attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace at the invitation of the Queen during her state visit to the United Kingdom.

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UK-China relations

Since 2015, when UK-China relations were dubbed “the golden age”, tensions between the two countries have grown over the Hong Kong issue, human rights issues in Xinjiang and US competition. and China.

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This isn’t the first time Chinese officials have been treated this way since the Chinese delegation was prevented from visiting the Palace of Westminster to pay their respects to the Queen.

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In September 2021, shortly after taking office, Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Zheng Zeguang, was invited to a reception organized by China’s cross-party group in the House of Commons. But the British Parliament Speaker told him that the British Parliament would not welcome him to the Houses of Parliament until China lifted sanctions on several British MPs.

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image source,Reuters

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The media noted the discord between the British parliament and the British government in handling relations with China. The reporter for the “Politico” (Politico) of the American political media, who first broke the news that the Chinese delegation was forbidden to go to the Palace of Westminster to express condolences to the Queen, wrote: (Palace of Westminster and the Abbey of Westminster) are only 160 yards (about 146 meters) away, but miles away.

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BBC correspondent Jonathan Josephs also wrote in the report: In the context of the already strained relations between the UK and China, the decision to ban the Chinese delegation from visiting the Queen’s coffin is obviously unlikely to help improve relations.

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British politicians also had mixed views on the decision. Conservative MP Richard Graham told London Radio (LBC) that it would be “extraordinary” if the UK didn’t invite Xi to the Queen’s funeral.

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He said the bickering was a major disruption to the queen’s funeral at a time when the nation mourned the queen and put aside all political issues.

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Why can’t the Chinese delegation go to the Houses of Parliament?

The Palace of Westminster is the center of British politics. Westminster Hall was built in the oldest part of the 11th century and still retains its medieval wooden roof. The queen’s coffin is parked on the bier under the wooden roof for the British public to pay their respects.

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Westminster Abbey is where the King and Queen of England were crowned. The Queen held a coronation ceremony here in 1953 and she and Prince Philip were also married here in 1947.

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In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II agreed that control of the Palace of Westminster would be shared by the monarch-appointed Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Speaker of the House of Lords, according to the Parliamentary Rule Book (Erskine May).

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Although the regulation does not mention who controls and decides on important occasions how to pay homage to the coffin, when it comes to matters such as “inviting foreign dignitaries to address the House of Commons at the Palace of Westminster”, the invitation is “usually” made by three people above I agree to release.

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Therefore, to the disapproval of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Chinese delegation was unable to go to the Palace of Westminster to express condolences to the Queen.

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