China Backs Malawi’s Wildlife Crime Crusade

The Chinese Embassy is pledging support for a Stop Wildlife Crime campaign to stop ivory trafficking in Malawi. China’s ambassador to Malawi said that blame for such smuggling often centers on Chinese nationals, but the government opposes the criminal activity. Zhang Qingyang, China’s ambassador to Malawi, “added that China has put into force a number of laws and regulations and consistently educated its people to comply with international regulations and local laws and to resist illegal trade in wildlife and its products,” reports Charles Mkoka for Environment News Service. The ambassador also delivered $1 million to help a wildlife trust with its conservation campaign. Elephants and black rhinoceros are under intense pressure from smugglers. A German study “suggests that Malawi is being used as a major transit hub for illegal wildlife products, which are being imported, processed, packaged, sold and exported through its porous borders.” One man prosecuted and deported from in Malawi for shipping illegal ivory was alleged to have used three names. The campaign’s supporters seek to raise awareness and improve communications among enforcement agencies. – YaleGlobal Online