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  • Prince William in Beijing
    Britain's Prince William faces the media during a visit to the Forbidden City in Beijing on 2 March 2015.Reuters
  • Prince William in Beijing
    Britain's Prince William (C) is accompanied by British and Chinese delegations during a visit to the Forbidden City in Beijing.Reuters
  • Prince William in Beijing
    Prince William meets Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed the Duke of Cambridge Prince William, who arrived in Beijing on Monday, 2 March.

"The British Royal family holds great influence not just in the UK, but across the world. Over the years the Royal family has shown great interest in, and support for Chinese/UK relations," Xi said during the meeting, according to The Telegraph.

Prince William is the first senior British royal family member to pay a visit to the country nearly after three decades. Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip had visited China in 1986.

On arrival, the Prince officially invited the Chinese President to pay a visit to Britain later this year.

However, this time, William is not accompanied by his wife Kate Middleton, who is expecting her second child in April.