Roundup: China plays important role in global fight against illegal wildlife trade

As home to treasured species like giant panda, tiger and Tibetan antelope, China has a profound variety and abundance of wildlife, which makes wildlife protection an important work for the country.

Wildlife protection was in spotlight at the Kasane Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade held Wednesday in the southern African country of Botswana, with delegates from 35 countries discussing measures to fight against wildlife poaching and trafficking.

At the conference, John C. Cruden, the U.S. Department of Justice's Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) told Xinhua he believes China is playing an increasingly important role in the global fight against illegal wildlife trade.

"The Chinese delegates presented their work today, I think they are making great efforts, it's quite positive and all of us can see China's strong commitment in fighting illegal wildlife trade," said Cruden.

Chinese delegate Meng Xianlin, the executive director-general of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Import and Export Management Office, said China has made great efforts in wildlife protection including strengthening law enforcement, providing fund, helping African countries to train staff in wildlife protection and making continuous sensitization among Chinese citizens on the importance of wildlife protection.

Chinese authorities has announced in February a one-year ban on imports of African ivory carvings acquired after the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) took effect in 1975, aiming to access the effects of the ban and to take further measures.

Susan Lieberman, the executive director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) told Xinhua at the Kasane Conference that the ban shows China's firm resolution to strengthen its law enforcement and take more responsibility in wildlife protection.

"China now begins to play a leading role in the global fight against illegal wildlife trade and China is doing good in protecting its own wildlife resources, the panda and tiger populations are both increasing, " said Lieberman.

Last year, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang offered 10 million U.S. dollars in aid for wildlife protection in Africa.

In February this year, an operation dubbed Cobra Cobra II was co-organized by China, the United States, South Africa and international wildlife protection institutes which cleaned up over 350 cases, capturing more than 3 tonnes of ivory and its products, over 1,000 hides, 36 rhino horns and a large number of other wildlife products.

Also this year, China for the first time sent enforcement staff to Kenya to arrest ivory trafficking suspects.

Training is another job Chinese authorities are pushing forward, not only for its own staff but also for wildlife rangers in other countries.

"Training is one of our important works, each year an average of 3,000 to 4,000 Chinese staffs receive training. In recent years, we've made more training for staffs from other countries, like African countries, our neighboring countries and we've organized also training overseas, " Meng said.

At the Kasane Conference, delegates said political will is crucial in the fight against illegal wildlife trade as it is the driving force for all the other works related. Endi