London spares no effort to welcome its Chinese guest

National flags, red lanterns and iconic black London cabs displaying pictures of China are ready to welcome the first state visit to the United Kingdom by a Chinese president in 10 years.

As President Xi Jinping starts his trip officially on Tuesday, Chinese national flags are flying in The Mall near Buckingham Palace and also on Horse Guards Parade.

In central London's Chinatown, hundreds of traditional Chinese red lanterns have been hung along colorfully decorated streets.

On the main street, a long banner featuring the national flags of the two countries has been hung from an archway with the message, "A warm welcome to President Xi Jinping to the UK".

Chu Ting Tang, chairman of the London Chinatown Chinese Association, said the local Chinese community is very proud of China's development, strong Sino-UK relations, and hopes that Xi's visit to the UK will be a great success.

Zhang Xiaofei, a 23-year-old Chinese student, told China Daily: "I'm really excited that President Xi is visiting the UK. It is the first Chinese state visit to the UK for 10 years. I would love to welcome the president and his wife along with many Chinese students."

From Sunday, 50 London taxis displaying pictures of China for a month, took to the roads of the British capital.

The photos were selected from the Amazing China: 2015 Mobile Phone Photo Contest, which encouraged tourists worldwide to discover the beauty of China by sending in photos for prizes.

The contest, launched on Aug 10 by China Daily and the Chinese embassy in the UK, ended on Oct 7 after attracting more than 8,000 entries from around the world.

One hundred of the best photos are being displayed on London's cabs, which are owned by China's Geely company.

In a tweet on Friday, Queen Elizabeth II referred to the bond between the British royal family and China. She also shared some photos of historic moments, including her first visit to China in 1986, her meeting with Chinese leaders a decade ago, and Prince William's trip to China earlier this year.

On Friday, an honor guard left Buckingham Palace after taking part in a full rehearsal for the state visit.

The governments of both countries will sign a number of agreements aimed at furthering Sino-UK economic, trade, cultural and people-to-people cooperation during the visit.

The businesses community also has plans for major cooperation initiatives.

zhangchunyan@chinadaily.com.cn