China to recognise ‘animal welfare’ for the first time in milestone law change
Campaigners welcome report of stronger wildlife legislation and hope it will be widened to stop cruelty to pets and farm animals
The law is to be toughened to give more protection to wild animals on the mainland, according to a news website report.
Professor Chang Jiwen, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Law, was quoted as saying that the tougher laws would help protect many species around the country.
"Animal welfare within wildlife protection law is a major milestone in the history of global wild animal protection as the vast land of China hosts one of the widest ranges of wildlife in the world," Chang said.
Some endangered species are protected under mainland law, but the report said there were no specific offences to punish people who harmed or were cruel to wildlife.
Chang said the authorities also planned to revise regulations controlling animal habitats, but did not elaborate.