Chinese president Xi Jinping will be walking a diplomatic tightrope when he arrives in Manchester today – as the United fan meets greats from both of the city’s clubs ahead of Sunday’s derby.
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Xi and Cameron also toured the National Football Museum, seeing a football used in the first-ever World Cup final in 1930. The leaders met team members Toni Duggan and Sergio Aguero and posed for selfies.
The force released a statement from the officer in charge of policing Xi’s visit, Commander Lucy D’Orsi, saying she was “disappointed” at suggestions the force was trying to suppress legitimate protest at the instigation of China.
In the social level, many overseas Chinese think that a stronger China and better China-UK relations also have impact on their daily life.
Jihai played 130 times for City between 2002 and 2008 and became the first Chinese player to score in the Premier League and was recently named as City’s Ambassador to China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ended his state visit to Britain after being greeted by hundreds of enthusiastic and well-organized well-wishers in the northwest England city of Manchester.
The president visited the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester, before he joined British Prime Minister David Cameron at Manchester City’s football academy.
Story from The Associated Press and CCTV.
Xi said China should learn from Britain in many aspects.
For her part, the queen said: “I look forward to welcoming His Excellency Xi Jinping and to the opportunity which this visit gives us to strengthen the ties that already exist between our two countries”.
The prime minister says the visit has already sealed nearly 40 billion pounds ($62 billion) in business deals, including the financing of nuclear power stations which critics say is exposing sensitive industries to Chinese control.
The president also wrote about the strategic partnership between the two nations, which has seen both achieve remarkable standards in several areas of cooperation, including education, culture, science and technology, trade and economy, energy and climate change.
Among deals being announced was a new China office complex at Manchester’s £800m Airport City, which is part-owned and partly constructed by a Beijing firm.
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Conservative backbencher Fiona Bruce on Thursday demanded human rights and freedom of thought be placed at the “centre of this relationship”, while Tory former minister Tim Loughton asked why pro-Tibet protesters had not been allowed in view while Xi drove up the Mall.
