China and Vietnam collaboration strengthens fight against wildlife trafficking

(Kunming, China – 3 July, 2025) – China and Vietnam have combined forces to strengthen policy and enforcement measures to combat wildlife trafficking and protect endangered species. 

China Customs and Vietnam Customs, alongside counterparts from across the Asia-Pacific region, gathered in Kunming for the sixth annual bilateral workshop and the Mid-term Meeting of Operation Mekong Dragon (OMD) VII to strengthen regional cooperation against wildlife trafficking. 

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) supported the Anti-smuggling Bureau (ASB) of the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) in organising the workshop.   

“The collaboration between China and Vietnam Customs has not only served a powerful deterrence against wildlife trafficking across Asia or even in the world, but also has laid the foundation for key species conservation globally. We are honoured to be part of these collaborative efforts and witness the great outcomes for the past many years. IFAW will consistently support this framework and the Asia-Pacific enforcement network it leads, building the network into an integral part of the global fight against wildlife trafficking in the long term,” Jeff HE, IFAW China Country Director said. 

At the workshop, China Customs emphasised its "zero-tolerance" stance against endangered species smuggling and called for enhanced international collaboration to address emerging challenges.  

Hong Kong Customs reported its major seizures since 2024, involving products like shark fins and rhino horns while Vietnam Customs shared cases of live wildlife trafficking and acknowledged that cooperation has significantly strengthened its enforcement capacity. 

Representatives from all three parties commended the bilateral and multilateral cooperation framework, which enable China and Vietnam to play a leading role in intelligence sharing and deepening collaboration among the Asia Pacific region. They agreed that as a result, the region has demonstrated a strong synergy to combat transnational smuggling.  

They also reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a strict and high-pressure stance against the smuggling of endangered species. 

According to the World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, poaching incidents, seizure volumes, and market prices for species such as elephants and rhinoceroses have decreased significantly over the past decade. 

However, wildlife trafficking persists globally, highlighting the effectiveness and necessity of sustaining high-pressure policies and enforcement measures to combat endangered species smuggling. 

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