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

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prince William at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 2, 2015.

Britain's Prince William dots the eyes of a sculputure of Shaun the Sheep in British Embassy in Beijing on March 2, 2015.

Britain's Prince William attends the GREAT Festival of Creativity in Shanghai on March 2, 2015.

On March 2, Britain's Prince William, officially launched the UK Season of the 2015 UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange in Beijing during his first-ever visit to China, by dotting the eyes of a sculpture of British cartoon character Shaun the Sheep.

This first UK-China Year of Culture Exchange will be a showcase of innovative UK culture in China and Chinese culture in the UK.

At the start of the Year of Sheep, the Duke's gesture echoes the auspicious ceremony of dotting the lion's eye in a traditional Chinese lion dance, bringing good fortune and happiness to this Year of Cultural Exchange.

The Shaun the Sheep exhibition forms part of Animate UK - a wider animation program within the UK-China Year of Culture Exchange. Animate UK will celebrate the best of UK animation –including the premiere of Aardman's Shaun the Sheep feature film in China.

Aardman's Co-Founder and Executive Chairman David Sproxton said: "We are delighted that in China's New Year of Sheep, our own world famous sheep 'Shaun' will have a small part to play in celebrating this year of cultural exchange between the UK and China. It's fitting that Shaun the Sheep which is made in the UK by a highly talented group of creatives is going to be embraced by an equally talented range of Chinese designers and artists."

Rt Hon Sajid Javid, MP and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: "We are incredibly proud of our creative industries, they are one of our biggest success stories and a tremendous driver of economic growth. The Year of Cultural Exchange will be a wonderful celebration of UK and Chinese creative talent, and will help forge new business relationships between our 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 has met with Prince William in Beijing, telling the royal he was looking forward to visiting the United Kingdom later this year, at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II.

On Monday night, Prince William attended the GREAT Festival of Creativity in Shanghai, where more than 500 British artists, designers and companies were represented, and he will head to southwest China's Yunnan Province later.