Chinese President Jiang Zemin held a return banquet October 21 evening at the Chinese embassy in London in honor of British Queen Elizabeth II.

　 Jiang and his wife greeted the Queen and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh at the front hall of the embassy. This is the first time for the royal couple to come to the Chinese embassy.

　 Before the banquet, the national anthems of the two countries were played. Both the Chinese president and the Queen proposed a toast to the friendship between the people of the two countries.

　 More than 90 Chinese and British celebrities attended the banquet.

　 This is the fourth day of Jiang's state visit to Britain, the first of its kind. Britain is the first leg of Jiang's six-nation tour of Europe, Africa and Asia.

　 During his stay in London, Jiang had met with a number of British officials and people from the business circle. He had also visited the Royal Observatory, the Millennium Dome, the British Museum and the Shakespheare's Globe Theater. (Xinhua)