The Duke of Cambridge Launches the 2015 China-UK Year of Cultural Exchange

Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, officially launched the UK Season of the 2015 UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange in Beijing on March 2, 2015 during his first-ever visit to China. This inaugural UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange is a showcase for innovative UK culture in China and Chinese culture in the UK. Rt Hon Sajid Javid, Member of Parliament and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said that the Year of Cultural Exchange will be a wonderful celebration of UK and Chinese creative talent, and will help forge new business relationships between the two nations.

The UK Prime Minister’s visit to China in December 2013, the High Level UK-China People-to-People Dialogue in Beijing in April 2014, and the UK-China Summit in June 2014 all demonstrate the growing strength of UK-China relations, with creativity and cultural exchange at the heart of developments. The UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange provides a unique opportunity to further deepen and strengthen the strong relationship between China and the UK across the arts and creative industries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prince William in Beijing and expressed keen anticipation of his visit to the UK later this year at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II.