Chang said the proposal was not a one-cut-for-all regulation and local legislators could decide whether to put it into force in line with ethnic and local customs.

Chang said a dog-eating ban would have advantages such as inviting more overseas investment from those likely to withdraw from a dog-eating country.

Li Zongyun, professor of life sciences with Xuzhou Normal University, said, "A better solution is to distinguish between pet dogs and eating dogs. Pet killing should be banned and abuse of eating dogs avoided."

The city government of Hanzhong in northwestern Shaanxi Province killed more than 34,000 dogs in a campaign against rabies in 2009, triggering strong calls for animal protection legislation in China, which has no animal welfare law.