THE Duke of Cambridge will make a “very personal” and “direct” appeal to China’s young people this week to end the illegal trade in wildlife.
In a speech that will be broadcast to an estimated audience of 200m during the state visit by Xi Jinping, the president of China, Prince William is expected to refer to his role as father to Prince George and Princess Charlotte to urge young Chinese to help preserve endangered species for future generations and tackle the demand for illegal wildlife products.
The speech, to be given at King’s College London tomorrow, will be aired on CCTV1, the television channel with the largest audience in China, on Tuesday.
A royal aide said: “It will be a very personal speech. The Duke feels that speaking from the perspective of a young father is a fine point to reflect on. He wants people of his generation to set the standard now for the next generation.
“A big part of it will focus on the role of the Chinese people in permanently ending the demand for illegal wildlife products. He wants to try and speak to people sitting in their homes watching television.
Advertisement
“The Duke is aware this is the biggest audience he or anyone has had on this topic. He sees it as a huge opportunity to speak to the people in as direct a way as possible.”
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, arrive in London tomorrow on a four-day visit. William will meet them at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday before attending a state banquet with the Duchess of Cambridge.
He raised the issue of the illegal trade in wildlife when he met Xi during a visit to China earlier this year. Speaking during the trip, he called on China to be a global leader in the fight against a trade that he described it as “a vicious form of criminality”.
The Duke, who is patron of the Tusk Trust, which funds conservation projects across Africa, has spent several years campaigning to save endangered animals.
In a speech at the World Bank in Washington last year, William said poaching had been fuelled by a rise in the price of ivory in China from $5 to $2,100 per kilogram over the previous 25 years.
Advertisement
China has attracted criticism from conservationists who say its appetite for ivory has driven poaching to a level that threatens the existence of elephants in parts of Africa.