Lawmaker Elizabeth Quat pushes for complete ivory ban on mainland
Campaigner Quat says illegal trade is harming China's relations with the African continent
The illicit ivory trade between Africa and China has become a bane on relations with the continent and needs to be tackled, according to a prominent pro-Beijing lawmaker who is pushing for a total ban on the trade on the mainland.
Legislative Council member Elizabeth Quat said a ban would be easier to implement on the mainland than in Hong Kong, which has an established ivory industry with hundreds of licensed dealers.
"The trade is affecting the Sino-African relationship and China's image in Africa," said Quat, who spent two weeks in Kenya last year investigating the issue.
"People there can't imagine what the ivory is used for. They hear Chinese people are buying the ivory, so they feel depressed and angry. They don't understand why people want ivory."
The plight of the African elephant is now so dire that experts predict the mammal's extinction in the next decade if poaching continues unabated.
China is considered the world's largest consumer market for ivory, with the precious "white gold" viewed by many as a status symbol.