Beijing
postpones plan to lift ban on their use in traditional medicine after global
outcry
Mon 12 Nov
2018 19.19 GMTLast modified on Mon 12 Nov 2018 19.32 GMT
Conservation groups
have welcomed an apparent U-turn by China over the use of rhino and tiger
products in traditional medicine.
The Chinese
government announced on Monday that it would postpone a plan to lift the
25-year ban on the endangered animals, following a storm
of international protest.
Last month,
officials said China would
introduce quotas for tiger and rhino body parts so the trade could be better
managed, but wildlife experts warned this could have a devastating impact on
wild populations, because it would open up the market and encourage poaching in
Africa and Asia.
In a statement
this week, the state council executive deputy secretary
general, Ding Xuedong, said the change in regulations would be deferred, though
he did not specify for what reason or how long.
As the
biggest market for illegal tiger and rhino parts, any shift in China’s position
can make a big difference to shrinking wild populations.
Paul De
Ornellas, WWF’s chief wildlife adviser, said: “China’s role in tackling the
illegal wildlife trade is crucial, and we welcome the decision to postpone the
lifting of the ban on the use of tiger bone and rhino horn in hospitals.
“It’s
important to send the strongest message that the value of wild populations of
tigers and rhinos and their ecosystems is much greater than the value of their
bones and horns.”
The respite
may yet prove temporary. The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, is a strong
supporter of China’s traditional medicine industry, parts of which want more
supply from the country’s
many tiger farms.
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