Britain's Prince William is to visit China next year, though his pregnant wife Kate is thought unlikely to go with him, reports said Monday.
The Duke of Cambridge is due to visit early in 2015, but most likely without the duchess, newspapers and the BBC said. She is expecting their second child in April and has been suffering from acute morning sickness.
Buckingham Palace could not officially confirm the tour when contacted by AFP, saying only that no tour had been announced and news of any planned visits would be put out in the usual manner.
Britain is anxious to improve its trade ties with countries such as China. A high-profile tour by William, 32, would be viewed in Britain as an attempt to improve top-level diplomatic relations with Beijing.
In a leaked diary, he described China's leaders at the 1997 ceremony as "appalling old waxworks", and he has been accused of deliberately side-stepping formal banquets on visits by Chinese leaders.
Queen Elizabeth II, 88, and her husband Prince Philip toured China in 1986.
He was quoted as telling a group of British students in China: "If you stay here much longer, you will all be slitty-eyed".
Queen Elizabeth met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at Windsor Castle, west of London, in June.
The Duke of Cambridge is due to visit early in 2015, but most likely without the duchess, newspapers and the BBC said. She is expecting their second child in April and has been suffering from acute morning sickness.
Buckingham Palace could not officially confirm the tour when contacted by AFP, saying only that no tour had been announced and news of any planned visits would be put out in the usual manner.
Britain is anxious to improve its trade ties with countries such as China. A high-profile tour by William, 32, would be viewed in Britain as an attempt to improve top-level diplomatic relations with Beijing.
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In a leaked diary, he described China's leaders at the 1997 ceremony as "appalling old waxworks", and he has been accused of deliberately side-stepping formal banquets on visits by Chinese leaders.
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Queen Elizabeth II, 88, and her husband Prince Philip toured China in 1986.
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He was quoted as telling a group of British students in China: "If you stay here much longer, you will all be slitty-eyed".
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Queen Elizabeth met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at Windsor Castle, west of London, in June.
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