British Embassy in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping will make his first state visit to Britain next month, the British government said on Sept. 29, 10 years after the last such visit by a Chinese president.

The news of Xi's Oct 20-23 visit comes a week after British finance minister George Osborne visited China to strengthen economic and financial ties. 

Britain has denied Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei a six-month visa, he cited an embassy official as saying July 30, restricting him to a three-week trip on the grounds he did not declare a criminal conviction in his application.