London, October 30, 2001

On October 30, 2001, Elizabeth II met Vice Chinese President Hu Jintao and his wife at Buckingham Palace on their official visit to the UK.

She recalled her state visit to China in 1986, which she said left her very good memories. In recent years, bilateral ties have been developing fast. In particular, following the successful visit by Chinese President Jiang Zemin to Britain in 1999, exchanges between the two sides have been increasing and bilateral ties entered a new era. She was very pleased to learn that Hu’s meeting with Prime Minister Blair on the previous day had been fruitful. The direct contact and exchanges of visits between leaders of two countries can help enhance their mutual understanding and expand common ground.

Elizabeth II asked Hu Jintao to convey her best wishes to Jiang Zemin and his wife.