BEIJING — China announced Saturday that Vice President Wang Qishan will attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II as special representative of President Xi Jinping.
A group of British parliamentarians subject to Chinese sanctions expressed concern that the Chinese government had been invited to the funeral. One person told the BBC that the invitation should be revoked because of human rights violations in the treatment of Uyghurs in far-western China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
A close ally of Xi Jinping, Wang was a member of the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee of the ruling Communist Party from 2012 to 2017. Chinese leader.
Wang was named vice president in 2018, mostly for ceremonial purposes, and often attends events on behalf of Xi.
Main development:
— The Queen’s death reminds us of Britain’s vanished WWII generation
— What to Know About the Queen’s Lying State
— Reflections from the Queen’s Mourning Row
— Republic of New Zealand controversy complicated by Māori Treaty
— Charles’ History with U.S. Presidents: He met 10 of the last 14
— In Hong Kong, public grief over the Queen raises objections
— The palace will reveal details of the Queen’s state funeral on Monday
— Learn more about AP here: https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
Other developments:
TOKYO — Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako left for Britain on Saturday to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, paying tribute to her and the British royal family, considered a model for Japan’s monarchy in modern history. represented.
The decision to have Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress attend the Queen’s funeral underscores the importance and deep ties between royal families. Traditionally, Japanese emperors avoid funerals, except those of their own parents, due to cultural beliefs based on the Shinto religion that view death as impure.
Former Emperor Akihito attended the Queen’s 1953 coronation and 2012 Diamond Jubilee as Crown Prince. Queen Elizabeth She visited Japan in 1975.
Naruhito and Masako’s visit to the UK will be their first as Emperor and Empress. After Emperor Naruhito was elevated to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019, the Queen’s invitation to visit had to be postponed due to the pandemic.
LONDON — King Charles III and his three brothers stand guard around his mother’s coffin in Westminster Hall, London.
Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward stood with their backs to Queen Elizabeth II’s flag-decorated coffin and bowed.
Members of the public who had lined up for hours to pay their last respects kept passing by as the royal family stayed up all night at the historic event.
On Saturday, the Queen’s eight grandchildren will hold a similar memorial service.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
