On 27th March 2019, Chinese Embassy in Botswana, National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, and World Widelife Fund co-hosted the Addressing Wildlife Trafficking Workshop at Gaborone.

Representatives from Chinese community in Botswana and officials from Botswana wildlife conservation authorities participated the workshop.

H.E. Zhao Yanbo, the Chinese Ambassador to Botswana, pointed out that wildlife conservation was an important cooperation aspect between China and Botswana under Eight Major Initiatives of the FOCAC Beijing Summit. The Chinese government supported the wildlife conservation work of Botswana government and would like to enhance the bilateral cooperation on protecting wildlife resource and combating illegal wildlife trade. He hoped that Chinese nationals in Botswana could learn the relevant laws of Botswana and resist any action of illegal wildlife trade.

In his remarks, Mr. Peng Youdong, the Deputy Administrator of National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, said that China promoted the concept of sustainable and ecological development, strengthened endangered species conservation. China’s recent decision to close its domestic ivory market and ban the commercial processing of rhino horn and tiger bone demonstrated the government’s commitment to combat illegal wildlife trade.

Mr. Thato Yaone Raphaka, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Natural Resource Conservation and Tourism of Botswana, said that illegal wildlife trade was not only a concern for conservation areas in the source country, but also extended to international criminal and terrorist syndicates, which threatened global peace. He highlighted the importance of international cooperation in particular with China to combat wildlife crime since China is at the forefront of this aspect.

Mr. Zhou Fei, the Chief Programme Officer of World Widelife Fund China, introduced the elephant and rhino poaching problem in recent years and their illegal trade trends.

Officials from National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, World Widelife Fund and Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism of Botswana introduced the relevant policies and measures on combating illegal wildlife trade.

At the end of the workshop, the representatives of Chinese community in Botswana made a public pledge of ‘zero tolerance’ to illegal wildlife trade by signing an initiative.