President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Britain's Prince William at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 2, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

Xi and the prince, both avid soccer fans, also discussed greater sports exchanges between China and Britain.

Before the meeting at the Great Hall of the People, the prince visited a courtyard house in an old-style alley known as a hutong that has been turned into a museum by charities associated with his father, Prince Charles.

He chatted with representatives from charities working in China and received a hand-drawn picture from a Chinese child.

He also visited the Forbidden City on Monday.

Beijing is the first stop of his four-day visit to China and the prince will to travel to Shanghai and Yunnan province, where he will visit an elephant sanctuary and a nature reserve.