Prince William kicks off 1st royal visit to China in 30 years

onnaedo

March 2, 2015 6:03 PM

Prince William is the most senior British royal to visit China since the Queen's tour of the country in 1986.

Prince William has kicked off his official visit to China, meeting with the country's president Xi Jinping. The visit marks the first high profile royal visit to China in 30 years.

The Duke of Edinburgh is expected to discuss amongst other things possible business ties with China, promoting "brand Britain" according to the BBC. He will also highlight the illegal wildlife trade and visit some of the nation's most famous sites.

Meanwhile further reports revealed that the meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of People also saw the prince and Xi discuss their mutual love of football.

Prince William is the most senior British royal to visit China since the Queen's tour of the country in 1986. Prince Charles, his father has never been to China and once described Chinese officials as "appalling old waxworks" in a leaked diary, written at the time of the Hong Kong handover in 1997.

He has also hosted the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader who is viewed by China as a separatist threat, at Clarence House.

With China poised to take over the US as the largest economy in the world, Britain is expectedly looking to foster ties with the country after a previous less than harmonious relationship.

onnaedo