China says illegal hunting and trading of wild animals will be severely punished

China will severely punish the illegal hunting and trading of wild animals, it said in its government work report issued on Friday, as it tries to implement a ban imposed in January as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The pandemic has been blamed on a seafood market in Wuhan that is believed to have sold wild animals such as bats and pangolins, and China has promised new legislation to make the ban permanent.

Wuhan, Shanghai and other big cities have already banned wild animal consumption, and several provinces have also issued action plans to curb hunting, breeding and trafficking.