Did David Cameron really slap minister's bottom at state banquet?

David Cameron has been pulling out all the stops to impress visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping – but he reserved an even warmer reception for one of his own ministers, whom he greeted at this week's state banquet with what appeared to be a pat on the rear.

His target was Hugo Swire, minister of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and MP for East Devon. Swire initially ignored the swat, but on looking around appeared surprised to find it was the prime minister at his side. The exchange was caught by ITV's deputy political editor Chris Ship, who posted the clip on Twitter.

The peculiar hello took place at a state banquet held at Buckingham Palace for the Chinese premier and his wife, Peng Liyuan, on Tuesday. The 170 guests dined on West Coast turbot and venison from the Queen's Balmoral estate.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Last night, President Xi attended another formal dinner in honour of his visit, this time at the City of London's Guildhall. However, the premier is clearly tiring of formality and rich fare, as he has apparently requested fish and chips for lunch today. Xi is said to have made it known that he and his entourage are keen to try the traditional dish when they join Cameron in a pub near Chequers.

"They've asked about it repeatedly," a source told the Sunday Times. "It's all part of the President's view of himself as a man of the people."

After tucking into fish and chips for lunch, the president and his wife are scheduled to dine at Chequers with Cameron and his wife Samantha, before jetting off to Manchester tomorrow for the final day of their state visit. There, they will visit the Etihad Stadium and watch a match between Manchester City's women's team and Chinese club Wuhan Girls.