A Chinese delegation will not be permitted to attend Queen Elizabeth II's lying in state at Westminster Hall in London.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, speaker of the House of Commons, has refused a request from the delegation to view the queen's coffin because of sanctions China has imposed on British citizens, BBC News reported early on Friday.
The decision comes as tensions remain high between Beijing and London, with a group of U.K. members of parliament (MPs) expressing concerns that Chinese President Xi Jinping has been invited to the state funeral on Monday.
The decision to bar the Chinese delegation is most likely a result of Chinese sanctions on nine British citizens, including seven members of parliament, imposed in 2021 after those individuals accused China of mistreating its largely Muslim Uyghur community.
China has been accused of detaining Uyghurs in camps in the autonomous region of Xinjiang and Beijing has faced allegations of torture, sexual assault and forced labor.
China has denied the allegations and said the camps are for "re-education" with the aim of combating terrorism. However, the U.S., U.K. and European Union (EU) have imposed sanctions on the Chinese government as a result of its treatment of Uyghurs.
The House of Commons told the BBC on Friday that it does not comment on security matters but the Chinese government may view the rejection of the delegation's request as a snub.
Newsweek has asked the Chinese embassy in London for comment.
A group of seven MPs and members of the House of Lords called on the U.K.'s Foreign Office to withdraw Xi's funeral invitation on Thursday. They included former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Tim Loughton, chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee.
Xi is not expected to attend the state funeral on Monday but China's Vice-President Wang Qishan is expected to be present at the service, which will take place in Westminster Abbey, across from Westminster Hall.
A large number of senior foreign dignitaries will also be in attendance, including President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and several kings and queens.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has ... Read more
