New | A royal welcome for China's Xi Jinping as he brings US$46 billion in deals to Britain
Queen Elizabeth presents Chinese leader with collection of Shakespeare's sonnets as both nations usher in 'golden era' in Sino-British ties
Chinese President Xi Jinping's first full day in London began with a state welcome as he embarked on his four-day stay in Britain, during which more than US$46 billion of deals are expected to be signed.
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan , exchanged gifts with Queen Elizabeth. The queen gave Xi a collection of Shakespeare's sonnets and Peng a pair of Royal Crown Derby candlesticks, while Xi gave the queen two of his wife's music albums, British media reported. Peng is a popular folk singer in China.
READ MORE: Chinese president met with pomp and protest in Britain: the latest updates on the first full day of Xi Jinping’s UK state visit
Hailed by both sides as the start of a "golden era" in Sino-British relations, the first state visit by a Chinese president to Britain in a decade comes as London eagerly seeks to cement stronger ties with the world's second-largest economy.
Xi was given an elaborate red-carpet welcome with a 41-gun salute at the House Guards Parade yesterday, greeted by the queen, her husband Prince Philip, and Prime Minister David Cameron.
Supporters and protesters crammed the streets outside, chanting and waving banners.
Watch: Human rights protestors greet Chinese president Xi Jinping in Britain
As the ceremony drew to an end, Xi was invited by the queen on a gold carriage tour to Buckingham Palace for a private lunch. After lunch, Xi gave a speech at the Parliament, addressing members of both houses.
Xi and Peng were expected to attend a state banquet hosted by the queen in the evening.
Amid all the pomp, both sides are expected to sign over US$46.4 billion of agreements - covering industries including retail, energy and aerospace - and creating 3,900 jobs in Britain, the British government said.
"Trade and investment between our two nations are growing and our people-to-people links are strong," Cameron said
One major deal under discussion is for China to take a key role in a project to build Britain's first new nuclear power station in decades, Hinkley Point C in southwest England.
French utility EDF had reached an agreement with Beijing's China General Nuclear and China National Nuclear Corporation to take a 33.5 per cent stake in the project, French daily reported.
The warming Sino-British relations - particularly London's keen courtship of closer trade ties with Beijing - has drawn criticism that London is not critical enough towards its guest, including on human rights issues.
Brookings Institution visiting fellow Philippe Le Corre, an expert on Sino-European ties, said Britain might aspire to be China's Western friend that could be its bridge to the United States.
"Just as Britain served as a bridge between Americans and Europeans in the past, it now aims to play such a role with China," Le Corre wrote on the website of .
"Britain could possibly help China bring the US closer to the negotiating table if the security situation in the Asia-Pacific were to deteriorate as Beijing becomes more assertive."
Roland Vogt, director of the University of Hong Kong's European Studies Programme, described Britain as "a central interlocutor for discussions between the US and China". "For Britain, China is part of a broader strategy to enhance the visibility of British diplomacy in Asia," Vogt said.
