A British Fish Supper For President Xi Jinping
The Chinese delegation have asked to sample fish and chips repeatedly since arriving for their state visit to Britain.
Wednesday 21 October 2015 20:53, UK
The Chinese President is expected to sample Britain's most famous dish, fish and chips, in a traditional English pub with David Cameron as he continues his state visit to the UK.
After a state banquet at Buckingham Palace on the first day of his visit and another banquet at London’s Guildhall on the second, Xi Jinping is reported to have requested something less formal.
So he is expected to visit a pub near Chequers with the Prime Minister before he and his wife sit down to a full dinner with Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha in the evening.
"The Chinese are desperate to order fish and chips," a source involved in negotiations over the trip told The Sunday Times.
"They’ve asked about it repeatedly. It’s all part of the President’s view of himself as a man of the people."
::
Before heading for Chequers, the Mr Xi accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan will formally bid farewell to the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace in the morning.
Following this the President, joined by the Duke of York, will visit Inmarsat, a leading provider of global satellite communication services.
Afterwards, Mr Xi and the Duke will join a Confucius Institute conference at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London.
After fish and chips in the pub and dinner at Chequers, the President and his wife will fly to Manchester for the final day of their state visit and the other cultural highlight of the week, a visit to Manchester City Football Club.
They will see Chinese footballer Sun Jihai inducted into the National Football Museum's hall of fame.
Mr Xi and Mr Cameron will also watch a match between Manchester City's women's team and Wuhan Girls.
But the visit to Manchester could be tricky diplomatically.
The President has apparently previously stated his admiration for City's rivals Manchester United.