China to ban consumption of wild animals, illegal wildlife trade

China will ban the consumption of wild animals and severely crack down on the illegal wildlife trade as wild animals are widely believed to be the source of the novel coronavirus, according to a decision adopted by the top legislature on Feb 24.

The decision to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade and eliminate the bad habit of eating wild animals to safeguard people's lives and health was deliberated and adopted at a bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

The decision, consisting of eight articles, focuses on the prominent problem of some people recklessly eating wild animals. It aims to completely ban eating wild animals and crack down on the illegal wildlife trade before relevant laws are amended to provide a strong legislative guarantee for safeguarding public health and ecological security, according to the legislature.

The habit of eating wild animals and the related illegal trade have aroused huge public concerns after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, as disease control experts have said wild animals are very likely the source of the new virus.

The top legislature said in a statement that eating wild animals poses huge potential risks to public health, but amending the Wild Animal Protection Law needs time and should go through legislative procedures.

"At the critical moment in epidemic prevention and control, it's highly necessary and prominent for the NPC Standing Committee to pass a special decision," the statement said, adding that the decision takes effect immediately.

Under existing laws, wild animals that are banned from being eaten are those under national protection or those without a legitimate source. However, the latest decision extends the scope by completely banning eating wild animals, according to the statement.

Decisions made by the NPC Standing Committee are usually not as comprehensive and systematic as laws, but they also are with legal effect.