China must play role in saving the elephant

Reports of the arrest of poachers are often rendered with the same jaded dryness we have come to associate with announcements on corruption.

Listening to these reports, one does not get any sense of indignation, no analysis of the real implications of these crimes.

Targeting poachers only makes sense if poachers are stopped in their tracks, not when the animals have already been slaughtered. Poachers are small potatoes. Apprehend two and you have a dozen waiting to finish the job.

With the demand for ivory spiralling, particularly in China, the global conservation effort now needs a multi-pronged approach. While in Hong Kong recently, I was encouraged to see Prince William taking this message to China.

I followed closely what he had to say to China about its role in the desecration of the African rhino and elephant as well as its own endangered species. He conveyed his message with the tact and diplomacy befitting royalty.

Indeed, there is a place for diplomacy, but there is also a time to tell it as it is. The global community has, for too long, danced around the issue, pulling its punches, and seeking to appease the biggest consumers of ivory in Asia and the Middle East. It has been particularly wary of alienating China, given that country’s historical sensitivity in matters of human rights and democracy.

WESTERN PROPAGANDA

Yet, chastising the Chinese consumer of ivory and rare fauna is not synonymous with criticising the Chinese state. The latter must not only shed its cloak of much-maligned victim of Western propaganda and play a bigger role in curtailing the greed and excesses of the former.

Ultimately, only the Chinese authorities have the power to shut down their ivory factories and save their tigers, pangolins, and bears. It would be a tragedy for China’s credibility if its much-lauded 5,000-year old civilisation were to culminate in a reputation as a guzzler of the world’s resources with little concomitant commitment to saving the planet and its heritage.

The Chinese nouveau riche need to understand that the world has changed. Gone are the days when it was de rigueur to display magnificent ivory sculptures in the imperial court and the possession of finely-carved ivory ornaments, chopsticks, trinkets, and jewellery conferred status.

STATUS SYMBOL

Today, the possession of ivory is not a status symbol, but a testament of the barbarism of the human race towards endangered species.

The more China opens up and engages with the global community through business, tourism, and consumerism, the clearer it becomes that the Chinese consumer needs to understand that the acquisition of wealth brings with it certain responsibilities to society, both domestic and global.

China could well surpass the US as the world’s biggest economy within a decade. What does that mean in terms of China’s obligations to the global community? As Chinese philosopher Laozi stated, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Led by China, the world needs to be galloping towards the finish line.

African leaders need to be shaken from their slumber. Otherwise, our generation will go down in history as the one that presided over the extinction of the last great beasts.

The writer is professor of Human Resources at Nottingham University and director of the Africa Research Group.