China fully bans poaching, trading of tiger bones: FM   

外交部：中国全面禁猎并禁止虎骨贸易和虎骨入药

File photo of seized tiger skins and bones by the police in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo: www.nnnews.net)

(ECNS) -- The Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting wild tigers and keeps improving laws and regulations protecting wild tigers, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular press conference on Wednesday.

The "zero-tolerance on poaching" international seminar is being held in Nepal, and delegates sent by China's State Forestry Administration have elaborated on China's efforts on the seminar, Hong said in response to a reporter's question about China's efforts in protecting wild tigers.

"A National Plan to recover wild tigers has been implemented. A network of natural reserves and protection stations at grassroots levels is being built. Poaching, trading of tiger bones and using them as medicine are fully banned," Hong added. 

Thanks to the efforts made by the government and people from all walks of life, the habitats for wild tigers in China have been effectively restored and improved, the species and population of wild tigers have been gradually enlarged and wild tigers protection has become a self-conscious action of more and more Chinese people, said the spokesman.

The Chinese government will take further steps to protect wild tigers and substantially increase the species and population of China's wild tigers. "We stand ready to step up cooperation and exchange with other countries and relevant international organizations to protect wild tigers, advance the common endeavor of wild tigers protection and enable human beings and the nature to coexist with each other more harmoniously," Hong said.