Wildlife products hold particular significance in Chinese culture and economy, though global forces are using the pretext of animal welfare to attack traditional Chinese medicines. China is currently exploring ways to minimize damage to the ecology, including implementing a permanent ban on wildlife trade and consumption. There is no reason to embroil TCM with these other complex debates.
China is the world's largest illegal wildlife products market and has driven the growth of animal farms where wildlife species are bred in captivity. If the PRC is serious about protecting species from extinction and reducing poaching, it must fulfill the recommendations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, including applying it to the sector of TCM.