As a mild distraction to the intricate and complex deliberations of this week's NPC and CPPCC sessions, the U.K. is conducting one of our characteristic exhibitions of alternative diplomacy.

This week's top level visitor is no leading politician or giant of commerce, but the queen's grandson Prince William, paying his first visit to China. The prince has no governmental status and is not empowered to make commitments on behalf of his country; he was careful to avoid any contentious topics or address any differences which may exist between China and Britain. But it is likely that he will be the British head of state for a large part of the 21st century; so it is important that he gets a feel for China, which is likely to be one of the world's leading powers during that era.

His programme for the visit combines paying respects to China's centers of power and commerce with an individual touch. His first official encounter was with President Xi Jinping, who welcomed him warmly on behalf of the people of China. This reception was unexpected by the British side: It was not originally envisaged that the prince would be met by the head of state, but the president's appearance was a valued gesture of respect and goodwill. It is clear that neither side is likely to seek conflict or one-sided advantage during this visit: the royal family, trained from childhood in correct and respectful behaviour, provides Britain with a useful means of displaying warmth and friendship, to nations regardless of what conflicting interests may exist between them.

Prince William brought with him a formal invitation from his grandmother the queen to President Xi to visit the U.K. this year, and the Chinese president extended a return invitation, though whether the queen will be able to repeat her 1986 visit to China remains to be seen – she will be 90 next year. After that, naturally, the prince went for a tour of the Forbidden City, to enable him to compare China's imperial and monarchical traditions to those into which he was born.

From there he flew to Shanghai and attended the Great Festival of Creativity, intended to showcase opportunities to forge lasting partnerships in the creative industries, such as TV, film, advertising and digital media. The prince opened the British pavilion at the festival, aimed at "building British prosperity through innovation and creative business partnerships." This appearance was intended to dispel any idea that Britain's royal family represents an outdated, irrelevant image of the country; the prince is only 32 years old, a soldier in a modern high-tech army and the best educated member of the family for generations.