Prince William’s expansion into China for diplomatic reasons – and to expand his Earthshot prize – is being viewed by some royal experts as a sign of increased progressivism in the monarchy.

According to Ben Spencer, the Prince of Wales is taking the approach of “you can’t exclude a big chunk of the planet when thinking about fighting for its future” when it comes to the Eastern country, which is seen as the world’s biggest polluter.

King Charles, on the other hand, has never visited mainland China. He did visit Hong Kong in 1997, where he delivered a speech on behalf of the Queen.

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Prince William discussed his plans for China during his visit to Singapore for the Earthshot prize.

“Prince William believes that when it comes to the climate and the environment, Asia is critical,” Spencer claims.

“He’s of the view you can’t exclude a big chunk of the planet when thinking about fighting for its future. To fast-forward the change and impact he wants, he knows he has to engage with China and India — two of the world’s biggest economies and biggest emitters of carbon dioxide.”

He continued: “This is not him commenting on government policy. This is about his approach to the environment and ability to create real global change.

“It is him thinking, ‘Where can I deliver impact and change not just here but around the world?’ That is his longer-term view.”

A spokesman for Prince William said: “Scale and ambition is something the prince thinks a lot about. He wants to make Earthshot truly global.”