Rhino Horn Smuggling to China and Vietnam

The Elephant Action League published in July 2017 a report titled "Grinding Rhino: An Undercover Investigation on Rhino Horn Trafficking in China and Vietnam" by Andrea Crosta, Kimberly Sutherland, and Chiara Talerico.

Continued consumer demand for rhino horn in China and Vietnam has created economic incentives for, and a resurgence of, poaching and trafficking in African countries. The report provides information on the rhino horn black market in China and how rhino horn is smuggled from Vietnam to China and then sold and distributed in China.

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.

Decimation of African Rhinos and the Illegal Asian Trade

The October 2016 issue of National Geographic published an article titled "Deadly Trade" by Bryan Christy and Brent Stirton.

The article documents the decimation of the African rhino population in order to export illegally rhino horn primarily to China and Vietnam where it is a popular but ineffective medicine and hangover cure. Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are no longer significant consumers of rhino horn. About 98 percent of Africa's black and white rhinos are found in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.

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. 

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.