China welcomes Queen

Press, 14 October 1986, Page 6

China welcomes Queen

NZPA-Reuter Peking

Queen Elizabeth was given a colourful official welcome in Peking’s Tiananmen Square yesterday at the start of a sixday State visit Wearing a red coat that matched dozens of revolutionary Chinese flags hoisted in her honour, the Queen was greeted by a 21-gun salute after an historic handshake with President Li Xiannian. Two hundred children waving coloured streamers leapt into a well-rehearsed song-and-dance act as the Queen, smiling broadly, walked past after inspecting a People’s Liberation Army guard of honour. The Queen and Mr Li," aged 81, who has a heart ailment and is frequently off sick, then slowly

mounted the long flight of steps leading into-the Great Hall of the People for a 15-minute meeting. “The Chinese people have long expected your Majesty the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to visit China and today your visit has materialised,” said Mr Li, who wore dark glasses and slurred his words, but seemed in good spirits. He described the visit as a “glorious chapter in the annals of Sino-British history.” The vast Tiananmen Square, where Mao Tsetung once reviewed rallies of up to one million people and where he lies embalmed -in a mausoleum, was cleared of people for the ceremony — “for public order,” a policeman said. Later, thousands surged across the square

to catch a glimpse of the Queen and Prince Philip as they left the Great Hall to return to their luxurious Chinese villa in an exclusive parkland estate, y

Most onlookers were sightseers who . had stumbled on the visit by chance, and most had no clear idea who they had hurried over to see.

The visit is seen by British officials as crowning the improvement in relations with Peking made possible by the 1984 agreement. under which Hong Kong will revert to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.

The Queen,' visiting Peking in golden autumn sunshine that will soon give way to the icy winds of a long winter, has a busy schedule over the next five days in Peking, Shanghai, Xian, Kunming and Canton.