The visit of Prince William to Beijing would be the first visit to China of a senior British royal in three decades. As per the itinerary, the Duke of Cambridge, would spend three days in visiting Beijing, Shanghai and an elephant sanctuary in Yunnan Province.
The trip after his four-day tour of Japan, would test his diplomatic skills because UK is actively seeking to expand economic and cultural opportunities with China. Therefore, while trade would be one area of focus, Prince William is also expected to take up the issue of China's role in ending the illegal wildlife trade.
In Japan, he had spent the last day of his tour listening to the pathetic stories from the survivors of the 2011 Japanese tsunami. He had toured the coastal town of Ishinomaki which was hit by an estimated 28 foot wave in which 3,275 people died. It seems 430 people are still missing. Moreover, nearly 22,000 residents lost their homes and 53,000 homes were damaged in the Tsunami.
In China, Prince William would meet President Xi Jinping and tour the Beijing's iconic Forbidden City before flying to Shanghai where he would officially declare open the Great Festival of Creativity in Shanghai. This is a British initiative to set the ball rolling for what is billed as a "flagship year of cultural exchange between the two countries".
In the last leg of his tour in China, he would focus on his favorite cause of combating the illegal wildlife trade. As per plans, he will visit China's only elephant sanctuary on the border with Laos and Myanmar. And, on this occasion, he would get the opportunity to call for a ban on illegal wildlife trade in China, especially the ivory trade.
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