The President of China Hu Jintao is making a state visit to the UK.
Mr Hu and his wife Madame Liu Yongqing will attend a banquet in the presence of the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Human rights protesters have vowed to “dog” the Chinese leader’s trip to London. Security has been beefed up around the royal residence with extra police officers on guard and additional metal barriers already in place.
Demonstrators from the Free Tibet Campaign, which calls for an end to Chinese occupation of Tibet, are expected to gather along the Mall, waving Tibetan flags and banners, for the ceremonial welcome by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on Horse Guards Parade.
They will stage further protests outside the Palace in the evening to coincide with the grand state banquet.
The Prince of Wales was accused of boycotting the last state visit by a Chinese leader by failing to attend the official banquet held for the then-President Jiang Zemin.
This time, Charles has carefully side-stepped the issue by being out of the country on his whirlwind tour of the US on the night of the official dinner.
The heir to the throne is a long-time admirer of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.
The Prince will be in the air, flying back from America with the Duchess of Cornwall, when the royal banquet takes place this evening.
