Britain and China are on a collision course after President Xi’s officials were denied access to the Queen’s coffin, which is lying in state in the Houses of Parliament.
All foreign leaders who will be in London on Monday for the funeral have been asked to pay their respects to the late monarch in Westminster Hall prior to her burial.
President Xi Jinping of China was invited to Monday’s gathering, but his attendance is not expected. A delegation led by vice-president Wang Qishan is set to travel in his stead.
Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle allegedly rebuffed the Chinese delegation’s desire to visit the ancient heart of British democracy.
It occurred months after MI5 issued an extraordinary warning that a purported Chinese spy had infiltrated Parliament in order to tamper with British politics and boasted of lobbying “more than 480 MPs.”
In 2021, China’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Zheng Zeguang, was prohibited from entering Parliament after MPs and Lords sanctioned by Beijing voiced displeasure over his planned visit.
Sir Lindsay has reluctant to comment on rumors that he has barred Chinese officials from attending the state funeral of Her Majesty on Monday. However, it appears that Beijing has been given a number of seats.
But an insider told POLITICO that the fact Chinese officials will be permitted into Westminster Abbey, but not Westminster Hall, demonstrates that Parliament is once again “taking a far stronger position towards Beijing” than the Prime Minister’s government.
All heads of state visiting London for the funeral on Monday have been invited to pay their respects to the late monarch in Westminster Hall prior to her burial; however, a delegation led by vice-president Wang Qishan (pictured signing the condolence book) is believed to be banned from entering Parliament.
Representatives from Russia, Belarus, and Myanmar were not invited to Monday’s funeral, along with Syria, Venezuela, and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
The decision to invite Chinese diplomats to the Queen’s burial next week, while representatives of Russia, Belarus, and Myanmar have been banned, has angered Tory lawmakers.
Parliamentarians who have been sanctioned by Beijing are incensed that China has not been excluded from the event like other nations accused of human rights violations.
On Monday, Vice-President Wang Qishan of China will attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey among world leaders such as US Vice President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
18 months after the House of Commons ruled that Uighurs and other minorities in China’s Xinjiang region are being subjected to genocide, members of parliament have criticized the invitation.
It also comes after China sanctioned a number of lawmakers and peers last year for condemning the country’s conduct in Xinjiang.
Several of them have written to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and his Lords counterpart, Lord McFall of Alcluith, to demand assurances that Chinese officials will not be permitted to enter the Palace of Westminster during their visit.
In retaliation for the imposition of sanctions on MPs and peers, China’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Zheng Zeguang, is currently forbidden from entering Parliament.
Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith described the presence of Chinese officials at the Queen’s burial on Monday as “astonishing.”
Vice-President Wang Qishan of China is scheduled to attend the service at Westminster Abbey among other world leaders including US Vice President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a former leader of the Conservative Party, told Politico that it was “astonishing” that Chinese officials will be invited at the Queen’s funeral and referred to it as “project kowtow redux.”
“How can they ban Belarus, Russia, and Myanmar but not China?” asked the former cabinet minister.
They have a long history of human rights violations, including what we consider to be genocide, the destruction of churches, and the persecution of Christians.
Tim Loughton, a fellow Tory MP who, like Sir Iain, has been sanctioned by Beijing, told the website that it was inconceivable that representatives of the Chinese Communist Party would be invited to attend the state funeral of the Queen on the same basis as representatives of nations that have not been condemned for their genocidal acts.
Mr. Loughton demanded in a letter to Sir Lindsay and Lord McFall, co-signed by Sir Iain, cross-bench peer Lord Alton, and Labour peer Helena Kennedy, that Chinese officials be denied access to the Parliamentary estate during their visit.
The letter stated, “Given that the United Kingdom Parliament has decided to acknowledge the genocide committed by the Chinese government against the Uighur people, it is astonishing that the perpetrators of this genocide should be treated more favorably than the countries that have been excluded.”
According to the South China Morning Post, Vice President Wang is anticipated to arrive in London on Sunday in time for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
President Xi Jinping of China sent King Charles a note of congratulations on his succession to the throne on Saturday.
He expressed his willingness to collaborate with the future monarch to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the United Kingdom and China.
Representatives from Russia, Belarus, and Myanmar were not invited to Monday’s funeral, along with Syria, Venezuela, and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Iran, Nicaragua, and North Korea have only been invited at the ambassadorial level.
Today, Number 10 stated that invitations to the funeral of the Queen are a matter for Buckingham Palace.
The official spokeswoman for the Prime Minister stated, “It is up to them to determine their guest list, and as is customary, those with whom we have diplomatic relations will be invited.”