Chinese President Xi Jinping has returned to Beijing after his five-day state visit to Great Britain. President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan stayed at Buckingham Palace in London as the guests of Queen Elizabeth the second.
The queen hosted a grand ceremonial welcome for the couple, and gave a private lunch and a formal state banquet that was attended by senior members of the royal family. President Xi also met with British Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street during his trip.
China and the UK raised their ties to the level of global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century during Xi's visit. Xi and Cameron also agreed that the visit opened a golden era in China-UK relations that features enduring, inclusive and win-win cooperation.
Xi's trip also took him to the industrial city of Manchester in northern England. There, the president visited the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester, and Manchester's airport, where he announced plans for direct flights between Manchester and Beijing.
