AFP
14 hours ago
The Prince of Wales will hold "one-to-one talks" with the president but will not attend the banquet, to be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Charles is a supporter of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader whom China views as a dangerous separatist.
The prince was accused of boycotting a Chinese state visit to Britain in 1999, when he failed to attend a banquet hosted for Jiang Zemin, who was then Chinese president.
A former private secretary to Charles, Mark Bolland, described it as "a deliberate snub" in a court statement in 2006.
"He did not approve of the Chinese regime, and is a great supporter of the Dalai Lama, whom he views as being oppressed by the Chinese," Bolland said.
Charles also described Chinese leaders as "appalling old waxworks" in journal writings about the 1997 transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from Britain to China. The jibes were later published in the press.
A statement from his official residence, Clarence House, emphasised that Charles would spend ample time with Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan during the trip, which begins on October 20.
"The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have significant involvement in the state visit by the president of the People's Republic of China," a Clarence House spokeswoman said.
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