China State Visit

The President of The People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, visited the United Kingdom on a State Visit between the 20th-23rd October, 2015.

20th October – Day One

The Duke of York attended the Arrival Lunch and State Banquet at Buckingham Palace for The President of The People’s Republic of China and Madame Peng Liyuan. During the speeches, Her Majesty said “Mr. President, your visit is a defining moment in this very special year for our bilateral relationship. I am confident that it will serve to highlight the sincerity and warmth of our friendship and to strengthen relations between our countries for many years to come.”

21st October, 2015 – Imperial College London

The Duke of York accompanied President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan, when they visited Imperial College London on 21st October, 2015 to highlight how UK-China collaborations in education and research are furthering knowledge and innovation. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne and Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord O’Neill of Gatley were also present.

Professor Alice Gast, Imperial College London President said “Imperial College Academics are working with outstanding Chinese partners. Together we are addressing some of the greatest challenges in the World.”

During the visit, Professor Yike Guo, Director of the Data Science Institute, presented strategic predictions and insights into the ‘One Belt One Road’ policy, and demonstrated the TranSMART platform for use in medical research.

President Xi Jinping, Madame Peng Liyuan and His Royal Highness then visited The Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery. Professor Guang-Zhong Yang, Director of The Hamlyn Centre, demonstrated new-generation medical robots for use in flexible access and neuro-surgery.

President Xi Jinping and The Duke finally met students at Imperial College London.

Later, His Royal Highness accompanied President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan at a Reception and Banquet at the Guildhall, hosted by the City of London Corporation. A Guard of Honour from The Honourable Artillery Company with The Queen’s Colour and the Band and Corps of Drums of The Honourable Artillery Company were present.

22nd October, 2015 – Inmarsat

The Duke of York accompanied The President of The People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping on a visit to Inmarsat on 22nd October, 2015.

President Xi Jinping visited Inmarsat to understand more about their work as a leader in the provision of mobile satellite services and its cooperation with China. The visit also served to highlight how Inmarsat is supporting the ‘One Belt One Road’ project.

During the visit President Xi Jinping and His Royal Highness were shown highlights of Inmarsat’s longstanding partnership with China before being escorted to The Network Operations Centre. Ruy Pinto, Inmarsat’s Chief Operations Officer demonstrated real time network traffic and satellites to President Xi Jinping and The Duke.

22nd October, 2015 – The UK Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms Conference

Later, His Royal Highness accompanied President Xi Jinping to The UK Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms Conference, Mandarin Oriental Hotel on 22nd October, 2015.

The UK Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms Conference demonstrated the importance of the UK Government, Schools and Universities attached to Chinese teaching and learning and provided opportunities for further collaboration between China and The United Kingdom.

During the visit President Xi Jinping and The Duke watched poetry performances from students at Robin Hood Primary School and The Lancaster University Confucius Institute.

The President of The People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, and His Royal Highness unveiled a plaque to celebrate the opening of the 1000th Confucius Classroom at Hautlieu School, Jersey.

The Duke said “I am proud to be a long term friend of China. Sharing language and culture are important ways to continue to build relationships.”

See photos from The China State Visit:

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