HANOI (REUTERS) - Britain's Prince William met Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc after arriving in Hanoi on Wednesday (Nov 16) at the start of a two-day trip to promote wildlife protection.

The Duke of Cambridge is the president of United for Wildlife, an umbrella body of seven conservation organisations united to end illegal wildlife trade.

The British royal will attend the third Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in Hanoi on Thursday, aimed at encouraging efforts to stamp out the use of endangered animal parts, such as rhino horns, in traditional medicine.

The use and trading of rhino horn is a criminal offence in Vietnam, but demand is strong because of a long-held belief in its medicinal powers, with William previously calling for an end to the trade.