Prince William praises China for wildlife protection
威廉王子赞扬中国野生动物保护

China and the UK have been cooperating for several years on wildlife protection. Ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit to the UK, The Duke of Cambridge Prince William spoke to CCTV, calling on the world to increase awareness of protecting animals.

Britain's Prince William pays a lot of attention to the protection of animals. This March, he visited the Asian Elephant Protection and Breeding Base in south west China's Yunnan province, for a close encounter with the elephants there.

"In the first 33 years since I was born, we've lost about 70 percent of African elephants. Those left, 20,000 were killed every year. That's 54 killed every single day. Those who suffered most are some of the poorest people on this planet," Prince William said.

China's recent conservation endeavors include a deal announced by President Xi Jinping during his September visit to the US of a near-complete ban on the import and export of ivory products. Prince William praised the country's efforts.

"I'm totally convinced China can become a leader in wildlife protection. Your influence in the world means you can change the phase of conservation in this century," he said.

The prince also said that these conservation efforts will go down in history and will make later generations proud.