China has slammed Britain for lacking "proper manners" after its delegation was banned from seeing the Queen's coffin.
The late monarch is lying in state in Westminster Hall before Monday's funeral, and there is currently a 24-hour queue for members of the public wishing to pay their respects.
The funeral service will be attended by numerous world leaders and heads of state who have been invited to pay a sombre tribute beforehand, which includes signing a book of condolences at Lancaster House.
Xi Jinping, China's president, had been invited to Monday's event but will send a delegation led by vice-president Wang Qishan instead, the Mail reports.
But House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has denied a request for the Chinese group to enter Westminster Hall, meaning they won't be able to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state.
The Commons speaker has maintained the tough stance that Chinese state officials shouldn't be allowed to enter Parliament after sanctioning MPs for condemning human rights abuses against Uighurs.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning has criticised the move, adding that the UK ought to "follow the diplomatic protocols and proper manners to receive guests".
Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith and Tim Loughton, who are among the MPs who are subject to reprisals from China, called out the "extraordinary" decision to extend an invite to China for the funeral.
When Liz Truss was asked to comment on the issue, a No10 spokeswoman reportedly said: "Admission to Parliament is a matter for Parliament."
The decision to allow the Chinese delegation inside Westminster Abbey for the funeral but not Westminster Hall to see the Queen lying in state would demonstrate that Parliament was "taking a significantly tougher stance against Beijing" than the government, an insider told Politico.
Vice-President Wang had been due to attend the funeral service on Monday along with other world leaders such as US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
However, China has now said it hasn't yet decided whether to send a representative in light of their ban.
Around 500 dignitaries from around the world will head to London for the state funeral in what is set to be one of the biggest logistical and diplomatic events in the UK in decades.
They will join members of the royal family, UK prime ministers past and present and key figures from public life at Westminster Abbey – which can hold about 2,000 people – at 11am on Monday.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who landed in Uzbekistan this morning morning for a meeting with Russia ’s President Vladimir Putin there this week, is not expected to come to the UK, with President Droupadi Murmu being dispatched instead.
Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella and Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro are among those attending.
But Downing Street declined to confirm reports that Ukraine ’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, President Volodymyr Zelensky ’s wife, will travel to the funeral.
Invitations to the Queen’s funeral have not been sent to Russia or Belarus against the backdrop of the invasion of Ukraine.
Taliban-ruled Afghanistan has also been excluded, as has Syria and Myanmar.
The seating plan, which could prove to be highly complicated due to the various protocol and political issues thrown up by a gathering of this size, is yet to be finalised.
