China will take stricter measures to crack down on activities involving poaching of wild animals, a move demonstrating its determination to protect wildlife resources.

Twelve ministries and administrations including the State Forestry Administration, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security jointly issued a notice banning the poaching or sale of wild animals and related products.

The move also targets illegal purchasing and transporting of wild animals, and the processing and sale of wild animal products.

The notice calls for efforts to strictly supervise and manage the export and import of wild animals.

While banning the poaching of wild animals, the notice says limited use of wild animals is allowed if animals are used in scientific research for the purpose of preventing and controlling epidemic diseases, for cultural exchanges or to be used to increase the number of certain species of wild animals.

Poaching wild animals for food is completely banned.

Due to the establishment of wild animal nature reserves and great efforts China has made to save endangered species, China has made marked progress in the protection of wild animals.

China has 6,266 species of vertebrates, accounting for 10 percent of the world total, according to the State Forestry Administration.

(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2003)