A Positive Small Step in the Treatment of Animals in China

Due to the suspected link between the coronavirus pandemic and the consumption of free-living animals, the Chinese legislature imposed a comprehensive ban on the illegal trade and eating of terrestrial free-living animals in February 2020. This was followed by a revised national list of animals that can be farmed and eaten and a landmark ban of cat and dog eating in the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai, the first such bans in China. These recent developments in China may have a far-reaching impact on Chinese people's attitudes and treatment of animals in the years to come. They should give us hope that Chinese culture and its traditional cultural practices toward animals can change in response to contemporary circumstances and ethical standards and sensitivities.