Chinese Delegation Denied Permission To View Queen Elizabeth’s Coffin In UK Parliament: Report

New Delhi: The UK has denied permission to a Chinese delegation to view Queen Elizabeth’s coffin at the Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall within the Parliament complex before the funeral, media reports on Friday said.

According to a report by BBC, the House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle is said to have refused a request for access to Westminster Hall in light of Chinese sanctions against five British members of Parliament and two peers for criticizing alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

As per reports, China would have a presence at the Queen’s funeral but not be allowed into the Parliament building.

The speaker’s office, however, refused to comment. The House of Commons said it did not comment on security matters.

According to reports, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) invited Chinese President Xi Jinping as Head of State of a country. It is thought that the vice-president, Wang Qishan, will be sent in his place along with a Chinese delegation.

A related for Prime Minister Liz Truss said that the Buckingham Palace decides the guest list after taking advice from the foreign office, and as per convention, representatives from nations with which Britain has diplomatic relations are invited.

As per a report by news agency Reuters, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a briefing in Beijing that she had not yet seen the report.

“What I want to say is the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is an important event for the United Kingdom. Foreign delegations participating in the event upon invitation from the United Kingdom is a sign of respect to the Queen and the importance accorded to (relations with) the United Kingdom,” Reuters quoted her as saying.

“As the host, the United Kingdom should uphold diplomatic protocols and proper manners to guests,” she added.

Notably, in March last year, China had sanctioned nine individuals and four organizations in the UK in retaliation, after Britain imposed sanctions on Chinese officials for alleged human rights abuses in its Xinjiang province.