China,U.S. in right direction to combat wildlife trafficking: U.S. official

The United States is impressed with China's commitment in halting the sale of ivory and the two countries are moving in the right direction to combat wildlife trafficking, a senior U.S. official has said.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs William R. Brownfield's made the comment Friday at a newly opened wildlife trafficking exhibit in Washington to coincide with World Environment Day, which falls on June 5.

"Over the last six to 12 months, the U.S. have been much more favorably impressed with what the Chinese government has done to control particularly the sale of ivory and to work more closely with the United States and the other 193 governments in the world," he told Xinhua.

Brownfield stressed that wildlife trafficking is not a problem for one country or one region, but a problem for the entire world.

The official said the issue will be discussed at the upcoming annual U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington later this month.

He said the dialogue sends a signal that if the two largest economies in the world can work together to address the issue of illegal wildlife trafficking, then "surly the other nations in the planet can as well."

Since talks in Beijing in December 2014, the two countries have taken concrete steps to remove products such as ivory from the market. Although there would be a long way to go for both countries, he believed the two are "moving in the right direction." Endi