King and Queen welcomed by Xi Jinping at the great hall of the people
Their Majesties the King and Queen received a full state welcome in Beijing on Friday, marking a historic first royal visit to China and celebrating 50 years of Thailand–China diplomatic relations.
His Majesty the King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty the Queen Suthida arrived at the Great Hall of the People on the eastern side of the compound at 10.35am local time on Friday (November 14), where they were received by President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China and his wife, Prof Peng Liyuan, along with senior Chinese officials.
His Majesty then proceeded to the saluting dais alongside President Xi to receive full military honours. A guard of honour presented a salute as the military band performed the Royal Anthem of Thailand, followed by China’s national anthem.
China also fired a 21-gun salute at Tiananmen Square, its highest ceremonial tribute in line with international military tradition. The commander of the honour guard delivered his report in Mandarin before inviting His Majesty to inspect the troops.
The King and President Xi jointly reviewed the honour guard, passing rows of Chinese children waving Thai and Chinese flags and offering flowers. His Majesty smiled and waved in return. Their Majesties then returned to the dais to view a military parade and marching band formation before entering the Great Hall of the People.
The Great Hall of the People, located on the western edge of Tiananmen Square, was inaugurated in September 1959 as part of China’s “Ten Great Buildings” project, marking the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic.
It stands as a symbol of national pride and serves as China’s central venue for political and diplomatic engagements, including official meetings with foreign delegations and major state ceremonies.
Their Majesties are undertaking an official visit to China from November 13–17, 2025, at the invitation of President Xi. The visit aims to strengthen the close friendship between the two nations, deepen people-to-people ties, and mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China.
It also represents the first state visit to China by a reigning monarch of Thailand in history.
