China destroyed more than six hundred kilograms of ivory in front of media and diplomats on Friday. Engraved tusks and carved ivory chopsticks were fed into a crushing machine which spewed powder and clouds of dust into the air on the outskirts of Beijing.
This was aimed at shedding its image as a global trading hub for illegal elephant tusks.
Surging demand for ivory in Asia is behind an increasing death toll of African elephants, conservationists say, as authorities fail to control international smuggling networks. Beijing has made efforts to curb the trade, stepping up prosecutions of smugglers and seizures of ivory at border posts.
Experts believe that most illegal ivory is sold in China – where products made from the material are seen as status symbols – with some estimating the country accounts for as much as 70 per cent of global demand.
