discussion Queen's Funeral: Chinese Officials Invited | Tory MP's Furious

[AlanRickman1946]

-Angry Tory MPs have hit out at a decision to invite Chinese officials to the Queen's funeral next week even though minorities in China's Xinjiang region are being subjected to genocide.

 -Russia, Belarus, Syria, Venezuela and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and Myanmar have been banned.

-North Korea, Nicaragua and Iran have been invited only at ambassadorial level.

 

-China's Vice-President Wang Qishan is set to attend the Westminster Abbey service on Monday along with other world leaders such as US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron. Xi Jin Ping congratulated King Charles.

 

-China's ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang, is already barred from Parliament in retaliatory action for the imposition of sanctions on MPs and peers.

 

 

Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith
-Said it was 'astonishing' that Chinese officials would be welcomed at the Queen's funeral
-Described it as 'project kowtow all over again'.
- Said "How can they ban Belarus, Russia and Myanmar and not say no to China? They have a huge record of human rights abuses, including what we believe to be genocide, smashing churches and persecuting Christians."

Former Conservative MP Tim Loughton (sanctioned by Beijing)
-Said "Inconceivable that at such an important and sombre occasion as the state funeral of the Queen, that representatives of the Chinese Communist Party should be invited to attend on the same basis of other nations who have not been condemned for their genocidal acts"
-Penned letter demanding that Chinese officials not be allowed onto the Parliamentary estate during their visit.
 

Number 10's Response
-Number 10 today said invitations to the Queen's funeral were a matter for Buckingham Palace.

-Said 'It is for them to set out their guest list and, as is convention, those we have diplomatic relations with are invited in the main,' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11215315/Tory-MPs-hit-astonishing-decision-invite-China-Queens-funeral-Monday.html

 

[nathanspears]

Wait I thought it's the government who does the guest list for a state funeral?

[AlanRickman1946]

56 minutes ago, nathanspears said:

Wait I thought it's the government who does the guest list for a state funeral?

state pays, palace decides...how nice...

[Archetype]

Tbh I don’t really mind this.  It’s a funeral, and sometimes you invite specific people who you had good relations with despite them being part of something that is considered bad.  They are attending to pay respect to the Queen, not the other way around.  As for the other countries, UK hasn’t had positive relations with them for a very long time, and likely won’t ever in the future, so it makes sense to not invite them.

[Sergi91]