After a tug of war, China decided today, Saturday, to send a senior official to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, which will be held in London next Monday.
Vice President Wang Qishan, special representative of President Xi Jinping, will attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at the invitation of the British government, which will be held in London on September 19, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said.
A group of British lawmakers sanctioned by China expressed concern over the Chinese government’s invitation to attend the funeral.
One MP told the BBC that the invitation should be withdrawn amid allegations of human rights violations in the treatment of the ethnic Uyghur minority in China’s far western province of Xinjiang.
And yesterday, a source at the British Foreign Office told Reuters that about 500 guests from nearly 200 countries and regions will attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.
The source, who requested anonymity, added that about 100 presidents and prime ministers, as well as more than 20 members of the royal family, will attend the funeral.
Earlier, Buckingham Palace set the time for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, scheduled for next Monday.
A senior British Royal Palace official said yesterday, Thursday, that Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral will begin at 11 am (1000 GMT) at Westminster Abbey in London, after which her body will be transported to Windsor Castle, where the burial will take place. be carried out.
