China Cracks Down on Importation of Endangered Species

The Institute for Security Studies published on 19 August 2019 a commentary titled "China Is Proving Key To Reducing Africa's Wildlife Trafficking" by Duncan E. Omondi Gumba and Richard Chelin.

China's crackdown on the importation of ivory and processing of rhino horns has reduced the illegal trafficking from Africa. The problem has also moved increasingly from East and Southern Africa to West Africa.

Mega-Themes in Africa-China Relations 2017

Lina Getachew Ayenew, Ethiopia-based author and consultant focused on Africa-China relations, recently posted her 2017 "Mega-Themes in Africa-China Relations."

The focus of the 2017 edition is the Belt and Road Initiative, China versus the US, ivory trade, technology, education and healthcare.

China Implements Ban on Ivory Imports

World Press Review published on 12 January 2018 an interview titled "China Makes Good on Its Pledge to Curb Elephant Poaching with Ivory Trade Ban" with Grace Gabriel, regional Asia director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

At the beginning of this year, China implemented a ban on the domestic sale and processing of ivory. As the largest consumer of ivory, this move should significantly reduce the incentives for the poaching and killing of elephants in Africa.

Ivory Market Shifts to Laos and Chinese Buyers

Nairobi-based Save the Elephants just published a report titled "The Ivory Trade of Laos: Now the Fastest Growing in the World" by Lucy Vigne and Esmond Martin.

Now that China is phasing out the legal sale of ivory, the retail business has moved to Laos where many of the shops are owned by traders from China. Chinese buy more than 80 percent of the ivory being sold in Laos. There are also a few buyers from South Korea and other Asian countries.

China's Phaseout of Ivory Trade Apparently on Track

Traffic published in August 2017 a report titled "Revisiting China's Ivory Markets in 2017" by Yuankun Zhao, Ling Xu, Yu Xiao, Jing Guan, and Wilson Lau.

China is scheduled to implement a total ban on the ivory trade at the beginning of 2018. The report concludes that in spite of some continuing implementation challenges, the phase out of the domestic ivory trade appears to be on track.

China, Africa and the Ivory Ban

The Conversation published on 8 June 2017 a commentary titled "Game Theory Suggests China Should Keep Ivory Trade Ban in Place Indefinitely" by Ross Harvey, South African Institute of International Affairs.

The author argues that how Chinese authorities choose to act in response to potential speculator strategies is crucial for improving elephant survival probability. Regulators should signal progress on implementing the ivory ban, and stating unequivocally that it will be indefinite.

China Bans the Ivory Trade: Cyberspace Poses Challenge

News China magazine published on 1 February 2017 an article titled "A Dark World" by Wang Yan.

While the government of China recently banned the illegal ivory trade, the article points out it will be difficult to enforce the regulation. Illegal ivory traders have moved their business online to WeChat. Social media platforms such as Alibaba and Tencent have made serious efforts to ensure they are not being used to facilitate the illegal wildlife trade but there is no guarantee they can stop all trading activity.

China, African Elephants and the Ivory Ban

The World Wildlife Fund commented on China's recent decision to close down its domestic ivory trade by the end of 2017 in an article dated 30 December 2016 titled "China To Ban Domestic Ivory Trade by 2017."

The South African Institute of International Affairs published in September 2016 an analysis titled "Values, Culture and the Ivory Trade Ban" by Yu-Shan Wu, Stephanie Rupp, and Chris Alden. It deals with the important issue of ending elephant poaching at the source and suggests how policymakers can ensure that international policies gain traction at the local level, where it really matters.

What Do Chinese in South Africa Think of the Ivory Trade?

Foreign Policy published on 13 October 2016 an article titled "What Do Chinese in South Africa Think of the Ivory Trade?" by Zander Rounds, Hongxiang Huang, and Ruirui Gu.

The authors surveyed 428 Chinese residents of Johannesburg. The survey found that Chinese are increasingly aware of the harsh realities underpinning the sale of ivory and rhino horn. But they feel removed from complicity and not interested in taking a stand against it.

What Do Kenyans Think of Chinese?

China House Kenya published on 1 October 2016 the results of a survey titled "What Do Kenyans Actually Think of the Chinese in Kenya?" by Cheng Lyu, Jinmeng Li, Zander Rounds, and Lucy Liu. The survey is based on 459 questionnaire responses distributed to Kenyans in neighborhoods, markets, and malls. This does not qualify as a scientific survey but is at least as valid as random press reporting.

The majority of respondents held a positive view of Chinese; 77 percent agreed with the statement that China is helping Kenya. The responses were much more critical of Chinese for their involvement in the illegal trade of ivory and rhino horn.

China and US Ban Ivory Tade: Cultural Problem Remains in Asia and Africa

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) published in September 2016 a paper titled "Values, Culture and the Ivory Trade Ban" by Yu-Shan Wu, researcher at SAIIA, Stephanie Rupp, City University of New York, and Chris Alden, London School of Economics and Political Science.

China and the US have now both agreed to ban the trade in ivory. Local values and culture in Asia, especially in China, and certain African countries continue to challenge the ability of governments to stop the slaughter of elephants.

East Asian Networks Smuggle African Ivory

The BBC published on 7 July 2016 a story titled "East Asian Networks 'Smuggle Ivory across Africa'" by Navin Singh Khadka. Drawing on a lengthy report by the NGO Traffic, the article emphases the role of East Asian gangs in the killing of about 30,000 African elephants annually for their ivory.

Tourism, Illegal Wildlife Trade, Africa, and China

Traffic published on 3 March 2016 an article titled "Tourism Industry in China Says 'No' to Illegal Wildlife Trade." The article comments on the steady increase in Chinese tourism to Africa and the illegal wildlife trade, especially elephant ivory and rhino horn. The Chinese tourist industry has spoken out against the illegal trade, which continues to be a serious problem involving Chinese nationals.

Understanding China and South Africa's Illegal Wildlife Trade

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) published in October 2015 a paper titled "Not Beating around the Bush: Understanding China and South Africa's Illegal Wildlife Trade" by Yu-Shan Wu, a researcher at SAIIA.

The illegal wildlife trade is one of the complexities that exists in China-South African relations.  It translates into a lack of common understanding in policy spaces on the intrinsic value of wildlife in South Africa. 

China Charged with High Level Illegal Ivory Smuggling

The London-based non-governmental organization Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) published a report on 6 November 2014 titled "Vanishing Point - Criminality, Corruption and the Devastation of Tanzania's Elephants."  The 36 page report notes that although China is the primary destination for ivory, countries such as Thailand, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia are also involved.

The report alleged that a visit to Dar es Salaam in December 2013 by a PLA Navy task force resulted in a major surge in business for illegal ivory traders.  The EIA added that a visit to Tanzania in March 2013 by a Chinese delegation led by President Xi Jinping created a boom in illegal ivory sales and caused local prices to double.  EIA charged that leaders of Tanzania's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party protect the ivory traffickers.

The Washington Post did an article on this issue on 6 November 2014 titled "Chinese Officials Accused of Smuggling Ivory During State Visit to Tanzania" by Simon Denyer.  Both Tanzanian and Chinese officials denied the allegations in the EIA report in an article published on 7 November 2014 by the Voice of America titled "Tanzania Denies Chinese Officials Smuggled Ivory" by Megan Duzor.

Illegal Wildlife Trade in Africa

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has just published a highly technical analysis titled "Illegal Killing for Ivory Drives Global Decline in African Elephants" by George Wittemyer and a number of other authors.  Based on a study of illegal wildlife trade in Samburu, Kenya, the study concludes that the problem increased markedly after 2008 and was correlated strongly with the local black market ivory price and increased seizures of ivory destined for China. 

Foreign Policy magazine summarized the study in an article dated 20 August 2014 titled "These Two Charts Show How China is Helping Decimate Africa's Elephants" by Elias Groll. 

Chinese Merchant Gateways for Ivory and Rhino Horns

Pambazuka News published on 10 April 2014 an investigative report titled "Chinese Merchant Gateways for Ivory and Rhino Horns" by Hongxiang Huang, a Chinese journalist, and Oxpeckers, a center for investigative environmental journalists.  The report focuses on Chinese merchants in southern African involved in the illegal purchase of ivory and rhino horn.  This authors visited capital cities and the Zambezi border region where five southern African countries intersect. 

China and the Illegal Wildlife Trade

The Centre for Chinese Studies (CCS) at Stellenbosch University published on 25 February 2014 a commentary titled "Illegal Wildlife Trade, China and the Sale of Endangered Shark Products" by Meryl Burgess, research analyst at CCS.  She concludes that China is showing signs of taking seriously the fight against illegal wildlife trade. 

China-Africa Podcast

The Voice of Russia American Edition asked me to comment on China-Africa relations on 26 March 2013. The twelve minute podcast with Voice of Russia's Kim Brown covered China's historical ties with Africa, oil imports, African ivory and rhino horn, the BRICS' summit in South Africa, Xi Jinping's visits to Tanzania and Republic of Congo, development banking, neocolonialism and mercantilism.