Xi sends his condolences to UK king

The queen had a packed schedule as she visited Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Kunming, Yunnan province, and Guangzhou, Guangdong province. During her visit, she had the opportunity to see the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors.

The queen said these were all unforgettable memories of China's ancient civilization, "Yet it was China's desire to shape a new future which captivated us the most. We were struck by the energy and enthusiasm with which China's leaders were forging ahead with a new and ambitious future for the Chinese people."

Two years prior to her China visit, the governments of China and the UK reached an agreement on Hong Kong's return to the motherland under the principle of "one country, two systems".

During her visit in 1986, the queen praised the conscientious efforts of both sides during the previous two years which were dedicated to the full and smooth implementation of the joint declaration.

In 1999, two years after Hong Kong's return to the motherland, then Chinese president Jiang Zemin visited the queen at Buckingham Palace. The queen said she thought highly of the smooth transition of sovereignty of Hong Kong, as well as China's policies and Chinese culture.

In 2005, one year after China and the UK established a comprehensive strategic partnership, the queen invited then Chinese president Hu Jintao for a state visit, during which the Chinese and UK governments and businesses from both nations signed an array of agreements on cooperation.

Kong Yuan, a researcher at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Queen Elizabeth II played a very important role in maintaining the national honor and pride of Britain.

"Her death will be an emotional blow for many British people, especially when the country stands on the brink of a deep economic crisis and with many foreign policy challenges to manage," Kong said.

Just two days before she passed away, Queen Elizabeth II formally appointed Liz Truss as Britain's prime minister at the queen's Balmoral estate in Scotland on Tuesday.

Kong said although Truss made some confrontational remarks about China during the contest for the leadership of Britain's ruling Conservative Party, there's no reason for her to make Sino-UK relations confrontational.

"The latest figures show that China is Britain's third-largest trading partner, so pragmatic cooperation will continue to be in the interests of both sides," he said, adding that China and the UK have great potential for cooperation in many sectors, such as financial services, education, healthcare and climate change.