Banning ivory trade is only one of many actions China can take to save Africa’s wildlife
Christopher Lee says it’s about time for conservation issues to be included on the agenda of the growing China-Africa cooperation forum
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But are there additional things that China could be doing to protect Africa’s wildlife? Trade between China and the African continent has grown quickly in the past decade; it was valued at more than US$200 billion last year. The WeChat messaging system from Tencent is used by millions of young Africans. Zendai is developing multi-purpose property projects in South Africa. The investments China is making in Africa and the operations of Chinese companies on the ground are transforming the continent at an unprecedented rate.
This change is happening quickly. The positives of this are better infrastructure, improved trade relations between China and various African governments, access to technology, higher standards of living for Africans and growing economies. The negatives of this fast-paced change, at least from a conservationist’s perspective, are the irrevocable loss of biodiversity and the undermining of ecosystem services needed to sustain this growth. Roads and railways bisect wildlife corridors and break up habitats. Dams alter the biological and physical properties of river systems.
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If we are to save Africa’s elephants, rhinos, lions and other animals, or protect Africa’s wild landscapes for the future, our policymakers need to begin addressing conservation issues head on. It cannot always be left to the conservation organisations on the ground to fight for the future of wildlife.
These issues must be prioritised and addressed at the highest levels of our governments. It is in these high-level discussions and agreements that the fate of the continent and its wildlife are being decided. We firmly believe that conservation and economic modernisation can coexist in Africa.
In the lead-up to this year’s China-Africa forum, the dialogue group worked with the African Ambassadors Group in Beijing and others to promote wildlife and environmental issues as part of the official forum agenda, and as part of its action plan from 2015 to 2018. There are indications that this has been taken up for the first time, and not a moment too soon.
In the end, how China manages its own house at home and conducts itself in the houses of its African partners will determine, in large part, the fate of Africa’s wildlife
It is unfair to hang all of Africa’s biodiversity loss on China’s shoulders. An accumulation of threats is creating the conditions for species declines and habitat loss. It would be remiss, though, to presume that China’s rising affluence, its greater connectivity with Africa via sea, air and cyber routes, its investments in equity and debt markets, natural resource extraction and infrastructure development, and the growing presence of its citizens living and working on the continent, have no impact. I think that China understands this, which is why we have seen the Chinese government, business leaders and individuals make a number of commitments and take a number of actions to reduce ivory consumption, and promote wildlife protection.
In the end, how China manages its own house at home and conducts itself in the houses of its African partners will determine, in large part, the fate of Africa’s wildlife. First, the Chinese government should show more leadership at home by completely eradicating, without delay, the ivory trade. Then, as African governments step up and put in place measures to protect wildlife, China must step in further and aggressively support those efforts.
Christopher Lee is a Hong Kong native and an investment professional. He is a trustee of the African Wildlife Foundation
