Britain's Prince William (L) gestures next to Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Photo : Reuters)
After chatting with President Xi Jinping about soccer in Beijing, the U.K.'s Prince William ended his Chinese visit with a wildlife expedition in the Yunnan Province, which is home to the nation's 250 wild Asian elephants.
The Royal Family member is already known for his interest in the preservation of endangered fauna, and the trip into rural China prompted Prince William to condemn the illegal trade of wildlife, which he described as a "vicious form of criminality."
The prince made his comments at the Xishuangbanna Elephant Sanctuary, where he also expressed warmth toward the Chinese government for outlawing the ivory trade last week.
He was referring to Beijing's one-year ban on ivory that was declared by the State Administration of Forestry as immediately effective on Thursday. The administration made it clear that import requests will no longer be handled, leading the prince to "welcome" a move that he believes will contribute to the fight against the laundering of illegal ivory products.
President Xi Jinping reportedly informed the prince of China's "intention to do more" at their Monday meeting. However, Prince William discussed the ivory issue beyond the borders of China, asserting that "ending demand for ivory is down to citizens across the world."
As part of his pro-wildlife work, the prince is involved with a campaign run by the WildAid organization, which has displayed billboards throughout China.
In addition to celebrities like David Beckham, former NBA star Yao Ming and actress Li Bingbing, the prince appears on the billboards, which were complemented by a television campaign that was filmed during the visit. The television footage of the prince was aired on the world's largest video screen at Shanghai's Bund waterfront area.
WildAid informed the media that awareness among Chinese consumers about the impact of the ivory trade has grown rapidly since the start of 2013.
While in the Yunnan Province, Prince William also met with conservationists at the sanctuary; fed a rescued elephant named Ran Ran; and spoke with the local Dai ethnic group, the members of which live among the region's wild elephants.
