LONDON—Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived for his first state visit to the U.K., where members of the royal family and government officials greeted him Tuesday as Britain seeks to bolster ties with the world’s second-biggest economy.

Mr. Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, took part in a lavish procession, riding in a horse-drawn carriage to Buckingham Palace, where the pair had lunch with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip.

Mr....