Peter Li is a professor at the University of Houston-Downtown and a China policy expert. Humane Society International (SBE). Iris Ho is...
Peter Li is a professor at the University of Houston-Downtown and a China policy expert. Humane Society International (SBE). Iris Ho is a program manager for the HSI Wildlife Office. This Op-Ed article first appeared on Global Times. Li and Ho contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.
Historically and globally, demand for expensive wildlife products often follows economic prosperity. So, surprisingly, China's rise as an economic superpower has brought with it new “statuses.” Some people with income spend it on lavish and often wild wildlife luxury goods, such as rhino horn and elephant ivory. While economic prosperity is good for a nation and its people, it can spell doom for wildlife species.
China is not immune to this problem, and it is not alone. The United States and other countries have gone through similar chapters in their economic development. But the Chinese government has shown the world that it is willing to combat illegal wildlife trade.
For example, the seizure of 645 victims of illegally obtained and illicit trafficking at the Capital International Airport in Beijing, Greece, was a laudable action by the General Administration of Customs of China. Along with other seizures of elephant tusks and rhino horn in Hong Kong, the Chinese government has taken a stance against illegal wildlife trade practices.
In recent years, China has faced the daunting task of stemming the flow of wildlife trafficking and protecting threatened species within its national borders. Chinese authorities have faced a difficult situation that evokes misunderstandings and often accusations – this is because China still allows legal sales of ivory. China and those living and working in Africa will continue to come under scrutiny and question how ivory from Africa ends up in China. Still, China stands firm. Recent actions are particularly laudable because China occupies an important strategic position in the fight for wildlife conservation around the world.
As the global economic balance of power shifts eastward, increased purchasing power in East Asia has made it a new target for illicit ivory and other wildlife products. China is also rich in biodiversity and is the best market for wildlife and its parts. Enacting the China Wildlife Protection Law and fulfilling the nation's obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species serves to protect Chinese native species and people in other countries.
Governments in the rapidly modernizing East Asian region are also trying to find a way to balance the preservation of cultural traditions with the protection of Earth's rarest creatures for future generations. For example, ivory carving is a time-honored skill in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Today, all ivory carving facilities in China must be approved by the government. A long-running debate on the Chinese Internet has explored whether elements of cultural tradition can evolve along with the new challenges faced in the contemporary era.
There are voices to pass on ivory carving skills to younger generations. However, it is a short-term choice to allow questionable traditional practices to continue if they lead to negative impacts on the long-term sustainability of the global ecosystem. The implementation of China's ivory-product identification system represents a political determination to encourage the expansion of the ivory carving business, a wise decision-making.
Additionally, as Africa's single largest investor, China bears a special responsibility to this continent's people and wildlife. Through education and enforcement, China and other East Asian countries have had to address the demand for ivory, rhino horn, and other animal products. As an ivory trader, moonlight culling, whether through ignorance or intentionality, violates international law and its effects are costly and grossly irresponsible. Ivory traders may also damage the reputations of law-abiding members of the Chinese business community who are working hard to expand rightful operations in Africa. Moreover, reports of the involvement of organized militia and terrorist groups in elephant smuggling are highly troubling and could trigger instability and undermine African regional security. This is related to the national interests of many countries, including China.
A series of Chinese government initiatives, international partnerships, strengthened customs enforcement, and growing attention from the Chinese public provide strong evidence of change in the country. A vital force in the global alliance of wildlife for life, China's growing commitment and efforts to combat illegal trade, while protecting elephants and rhinos from the threat of extinction, also adds to global praise for its efforts.
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