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| Xi Jinping visit: UK royal banquet prepared as MPs set to greet Chinese president - live | Xi Jinping visit: UK royal banquet prepared as MPs set to greet Chinese president - live |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| 9.48am BST09:48 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| When it comes to sheer acreage of flags and banners, the human rights protesters are looking vastly outnumbered. pic.twitter.com/0D76ifEIyb | |
| London restaurant worker originally from Guangdong, S China poses with giant Mao picture on Mall pic.twitter.com/bs8S7p8hLQ | |
| Updated at 9.51am BST | |
| 9.39am BST09:39 | |
| 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. | |
| Related: UK steelmakers urge PM to confront visiting Chinese president over 'unfair' dumping | |
| Updated at 9.42am BST | |
| 9.26am BST09:26 | |
| Tom Phillips | |
| 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 | |
| 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 at 9.26am BST | |
| 9.19am BST09:19 | 9.19am BST09:19 |
| 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. | 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. | My colleagues Ben Quinn and Vikram Dodd report this morning that the drummers cannot play in St James’ Park. |
| Related: Pro-China groups blocked from using drums as Xi Jinping arrives in UK | Related: Pro-China groups blocked from using drums as Xi Jinping arrives in UK |
| 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. | 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. | |
| 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 | |
| Updated at 9.23am BST | |
| 9.11am BST09:11 | 9.11am BST09:11 |
| Last night, Prince William made a direct appeal to Chinese people to boycott ivory and other endangered animal products used in traditional medicine. | 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 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.” | 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. | “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. | “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. | 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. |
| 9.01am BST09:01 | 9.01am BST09:01 |
| Here’s the official schedule for Xi’s activities today: | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 1.30pm Xi will view a display of Chinese items in Royal Collection |
| 3.15pm The Chinese president will address both Houses of Parliament | 3.15pm The Chinese president will address both Houses of Parliament |
| 4.20pm Tea with Charles and Camilla at Clarence House | 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 | 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 | 7.20pm Speeches at the State Banquet speeches at Buckingham Palace |
| 8.51am BST08:51 | 8.51am BST08:51 |
| Here’s Xi Jinping arriving with his wife Peng Liyuan at Heathrow Airport last night for the four-day state visit. | Here’s Xi Jinping arriving with his wife Peng Liyuan at Heathrow Airport last night for the four-day state visit. |
| 8.51am BST08:51 | 8.51am BST08:51 |
| China's Xi Jinping UK visit - day 1 | 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. | Good morning, we’re liveblogging the visit of Xi Jinping, the first visit to Britain by a Chinese president in a decade. |