Big celebration set for queen's 90th birthday
Updated: 2016-04-21 02:59
By Wang Mingjie and Fu Jing in London(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
Queen Elizabeth II, who 30 years ago became the first British monarch to visit China, turns 90 on Thursday, and a series of public celebrations are getting underway to pay tribute to the country's longest-serving sovereign.
She met Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping during her visit to Beijing in October 1986, less than two years after China and the UK agreed on the future of Hong Kong and at a time of increasing British-Chinese trade.
Over the next 30 years, the Queen welcomed three top Chinese leaders, including former presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao and current President Xi Jinping. On each occasion, she invited them to stay as her guest at Buckingham Palace, seen as the highest honor under royal protocol.
"I have seen for myself how highly Her Majesty values UK-China relations and the role that she can play in furthering friendship between the two countries," Sir Christopher Hum, former British ambassador to China, told China Daily in London.
President Xi, who heralded a golden era between China and UK after his state visit to the UK last year, sent birthday greetings to the queen when he met with her son Prince Andrew in April in Beijing.
"I understand that ... the United Kingdom will soon be celebrating the 90th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and also the 95th ... of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh," Xi said. "I'd like to wish them good health and longevity."
Queen Elizabeth famously has two birthdays: her actual birthday on April 21 and her official birthday, which is in June.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth and President Xi Jinping are driven by carriage along The Mall to Buckingham Palace in London, Oct 20, 2015.[Photo by Wu Zhiyi/China Daily] |
- Beacons and gun salutes as Britain's Queen Elizabeth turns 90
- Queen Elizabeth II's China connections
- New portraits of Queen Elizabeth released to mark her 90th brithday
- Big celebration set for queen's 90th birthday
- Things to know about Queen Elizabeth II
- Japanese PM makes offering to notorious war-linked shrine
- A 75-year-old kite runner in west China's Shannxi
- $2 million hyper car crash in east China's Zhejiang province
- Little champ: Four-year-old roller skates on cliff
- In pics: Day in the life of a webcasting anchor
- Top 10 Chinese cities with highest average salaries
- School 'poisoned' by chemical plants in East China
- Muralist Millo adds color to Shanghai's skyline
- Maze-like bookstore opens new branch in Hangzhou
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
Liang avoids jail in shooting death
China's finance minister addresses ratings downgrade
Duke alumni visit Chinese Embassy
Marriott unlikely to top Anbang offer for Starwood: Observers
Chinese biopharma debuts on Nasdaq
What ends Jeb Bush's White House hopes
Investigation for Nicolas's campaign
Will US-ASEAN meeting be good for region?
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |