A grand welcoming ceremony was held in London on October 19 afternoon for visiting Chinese President Jiang Zemin by British Queen Elizabeth II on Horse Guards Parade.

　 When Jiang and his wife Wang Yeping, escorted by the Princess Anne, arrived at the parade which has been bedecked with national flags of the two countries, they were greeted by the Queen and her husband Prince Philip.

　 A 21-gun salute was fired in Green Park and at the Tower of London simultaneously.

　 Jiang and his wife were invited to the royal reviewing stand. The guards of honor saluted and played the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.

　 Jiang inspected the guards of honor accompanied by Prince Philip.

　 After the ceremony and accompanied by the Queen and her husband, Jiang and his wife rode in open royal carriages and drove to the Buckingham Palace, where they will stay.

　 Jiang arrived here Monday evening for a five-day state visit. This is the first state visit of a Chinese head of state to Britain and it is also in return for the Queen's tour of China in October 1986.

　 Britain is the first leg of Jiang's six-nation tour of Europe, Africa and Asia. The other five countries are France, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria and Saudi Arabia. (Xinhua)