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<p>The UK is committed to the conservation and protection of wildlife. We work closely
with other countries to promote wildlife conservation through our membership of international
agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
CITES is an international agreement between 183 Parties, including China, Vietnam
and India, to promote sustainable trade in wildlife and to ensure that no plant or
animal species becomes extinct through overtrading.</p><p> </p><p>CITES prohibits
nearly all international trade in wild caught specimens of species considered to be
threatened with extinction. These Appendix I species include pangolins, most elephant
and rhino populations, and some big cat species. Species not currently threatened
with extinction, but for which uncontrolled trade would not be sustainable, are included
on CITES Appendix II and can only be traded internationally with the correct permits.
Permits will only be granted if trade is considered not to be detrimental to the survival
of the species.</p><p> </p><p>Domestic trade is regulated by national laws and falls
outside the scope of CITES. CITES cannot oblige Parties to prohibit domestic trade
but it can encourage them to do so. In 2016 Parties were encouraged to close their
domestic ivory markets.</p><p> </p><p>In 2016 Dr Thérèse Coffey MP met the Chinese
minister and attended the CITES Conference of the Parties, where she had further meetings
including with the Vietnamese minister. The Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP represented the
UK government at the 3<sup>rd</sup> global Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) conference
in Hanoi in 2016 and had bilateral meetings with Vietnam and China. Last October the
UK hosted the 4<sup>th</sup> global IWT conference in London. Sixty-five of the seventy
countries which attended, including China, India, Vietnam and the UK, reaffirmed their
commitment to counter illegal trade and declared what further action they will be
taking. The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP and Dr Thérèse Coffey MP met with a number of countries
at the conference including Burma, China, Japan, Indonesia and Nepal.</p><p> </p><p>In
2018, the British Embassy in Beijing ran a highly visible campaign, “End Wildlife
Crime”, with public events delivered across China, some in conjunction with the local
government authorities, and attended by 19,250 members of the public.</p><p> </p><p>Embassies
and High Commissions in many Asian countries play a key role in raising IWT issues
with host governments. Officials and ministers discuss IWT with these countries in
the margins of international meetings and during visits to the region. Most recently
the Rt Hon Mark Field MP discussed IWT with senior members of the Vietnamese Government
on a visit to the country.</p><p> </p><p>China has taken positive action on closing
its domestic ivory market, co-hosting a session on combatting the ivory trade at the
2018 IWT conference. However, last year China decided to adjust its 1993 legislation
to allow the use of farmed tiger and rhino products in traditional medicine; following
discussions with the UK and others the Chinese Government is reviewing that decision.
We regularly discuss IWT with the Chinese authorities and will continue to raise our
concerns with them.</p>
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