President greets Queen Elizabeth II on anniversary

President Xi Jinping has sent a message to Queen Elizabeth II congratulating her on the 70th anniversary of her accession to the British throne.

In the message sent on Sunday, Xi said Queen Elizabeth II has long cared about and supported China-Britain friendship, and is a witness to and promoter of the development of bilateral ties.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level, Xi said he hoped the two countries would take this opportunity to deepen friendship and mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation, and work together to promote international solidarity in order to benefit both countries and their peoples.

Xi said he also hoped that the two nations could make new contributions to helping the international community jointly tackle global challenges and promote world peace, stability, prosperity and development.

Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, ascended to the throne in 1952 when she was 25 years old.

The queen held a reception on Saturday to mark the anniversary at Sandringham House in Norfolk. She wrote a message thanking the public and her family for their support, and said she was looking forward to the celebrations over the coming year, which would culminate in four days of festivities in June.

The queen paid a weeklong state visit to China in 1986, becoming the first British monarch to visit China. She visited the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, as well as the Great Wall in Beijing.

When Xi visited London in 2015, he was warmly received by the queen with the highest level of protocol and etiquette of the British royal family.