China decided to join other countries that ban ivory trade .   China announced that the country will shut down it domestic ivory trade by end of 2017.  China is believed to support 70% of the overall ivory market.  China currently has 34 ivory production companies and 134 ivory retail shops.   Last year, China’s President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama pledged to enact “nearly complete bans” on ivory trade. US enacted a near total ban on its ivory trade in 2016.  China is holding its end of the bargain with this announcement.  Conservationists believe, this move by China may be a game changer in the fight for survival of elephants.  According to Elly Pepper of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Wildlife Trade Initiative, the ban “may be the biggest sign of hope for elephants since the current poaching crisis began.”

China announces ban on ivory trade by the end of 2017 http://www.ibtimes.co.uk The high demand for ivory in the country has led to an increase in poaching of elephants in Africa.

China to Shut Down Its Ivory Trade by the End of 2017 news.nationalgeographic.com Advocates say that the move by the world’s largest consumer of ivory could help save Africa’s remaining elephants.

Alastair Leithead on the poaching problems in Botswana http://www.bbc.com China announces a ban on all ivory trade and processing activities by the end of 2017.

China to Ban Ivory Trade in Response to Endangered Elephants http://www.wnyc.org The Chinese government announced on Friday that it would set a one-year timeline for its legal ivory ban, charting a new path in protecting elephants from extinction.