Following the amendment of China's wildlife protection law, traditional Chinese medicines are on the brink of extinction, a senior Chinese lawmaker said on Saturday.

While China has been attempting to change the old practice by seeking alternatives to wild animal products such as tiger bones and rhino horns, many are skeptical of their usefulness.

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"If in the future original products from wild animals are all substituted, our Chinese medicine perhaps won't be of any use anymore. This issue needs to be discussed by us Chinese people," Zhai Yong, head of the parliament's environment and resources protection committee legislation department, said after the government amended its wildlife protection law.

Zhai explained that although it is controversial to use wild animals for medicine, seeking alternative sources for their ingredients will reduce the overall effectiveness of the potions.

Jin Hua, another lawmaker, also emphasized the importance of wildlife products for traditional medicines, saying "some international forces use this as a pretext to attack the raw material requirements for traditional Chinese medicine, and often require China to forbid their trade."

The newly revised law only introduced a few changes as it permits "utilization" of wild animals for medicinal purposes and public performances.

Although it did say that violators would face criminal charges, there were no specific punishments laid out.

The law, which was adopted following its third reading at the National People's Congress Standing Committee's bi-monthly session, would take effect on January 1 next year. 

Tagstraditional medicine, china, wildlife protection