China has initiated another step to improve its animal rights policy by passing a new law that prohibits the purchase, production, and sale of endangered animals to curb illegal trade in protected species.

According to the Independent, the Chinese government has passed a law penalizing the consumption of rare animals with a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.

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The amendment hopes to bring an end to the hunting, selling, purchasing, and the use of state-protected animals for any purposes other than scientific research, captive breeding, public performances, consumption in non-food products, and population regulation, Yue Zonhming of the National People's Congress' Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission said.

Aside from that, the law also states that the government would revisit the special state protection list of animals every five years to update the number of the endangered species. For instance, re-evaluation means species bred in captivity like the sika deer would soon be removed from the list after it has been bred under controlled conditions across the country. 

It also means reclassifying state-protected species. For example, critically endangered species like the finless porpoise should be moved up to the first-class state-protection list, Yue said.

However, animal rights activists are still skeptical about the new law. The Shanghaiist reported that China's wildlife policies have always been a subject of scrutiny due to the country's inability to properly regulate sales and exploitation of endangered species.

Meanwhile, some activists have expressed concerns that simply prohibiting the sale of endangered animals is not enough.

The amended wildlife protection law will take effect on January 1 next year.

Tagswildlife protection law, endangered species, state-protected species, illegal trading