Prince William is set to take his annual Earthshot Prize ceremony to China.
Prince William will take the Earthshot Prize ceremony to China
The 41-year-old royal will stage the environmental awards in the world's biggest polluter as he looks to engage with Beijing and accelerate change to its eco-policies.
William's approach is in stark contrast to that of his father King Charles - who has never visited the country because of his views on the regime's treatment of Tibet and human rights record - and comes amid strained relations between the UK and China.
The Prince of Wales is thought to believe that "you can't exclude a big chunk of the planet when thinking about fighting for its future" and discussed his plans to stage the ceremony in China last week- when the winners of this year's awards were announced in Singapore.
A royal source told The Sunday Times newspaper: "Prince William believes that when it comes to the climate and the environment, Asia is critical. He's of the view you can't exclude a big chunk of the planet when thinking about fighting for its future. To fast-forward the change and impact he wants, he knows he has to engage with China and India - two of the world's biggest economies and biggest emitters of carbon dioxide.
"This is not him commenting on government policy. This is about his approach to the environment and ability to create real global change. It is him thinking, 'Where can I deliver impact and change not just here but around the world?' That is his longer-term view."
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: "Scale and ambition is something the prince thinks a lot about. He wants to make Earthshot truly global."
William previously visited China in 2015 and met with President Xi Jinping, although relations between the two countries were not as bad at the time.
Tagged in Prince William King Charles