High hopes for Chinese draft animal welfare legislation

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2010:

 

 

High hopes for Chinese draft animal welfare legislation

 

Beijing--How close to passage is the

draft Chinese animal welfare bill, completion of

which was announced with a burst of publicity in

July 2009?

" The draft law will be submitted to the

National People's Congress by the end of the

year, " reported China Central Television on

July 7, 2009.

At year's end, however, the draft bill

had not yet been introduced as a formal

legislative proposal. Neither were there clear

indications that it would be. But there were

continuing hints from Beijing media that the

Chinese government is encouraging activities that

help to build public opinion in favor of animal

welfare.

" The Chinese draft legislation was done

by a committee of academics. It is not a

government draft. It was funded by IFAW and the

RSPCA, " cautioned ACTAsia for Animals program

director Deepashree Balaram. The committee of

academics included 18 faculty members from

leading Chinese universities, one Australian

university faculty member who is of Chinese

ancestry, IFAW Asia director Grace Ge Gabriel,

and Royal SPCA senior manager of international

programs Paul Littlefair, who produced the

English translation

Though the draft legislation might be

considered more a discussion paper than a bill

likely to be introduced in present form, it has

been publicized by Chinese state media, in terms

suggesting that the Beijing government is using

it as at least a serious test of public opinion.

" The draft must go through the State

Council and receive three readings from the

National Party Congress Standing Committee before

being adopted as law, " CCTV explained in July,

adding, " A recent survey carried out by the

Internet portal Sina.com shows 89% of more than

63,000 people surveyed support the legislation. "

Legislative proposals seldom are

presented to the public in China until they are

already close to passage, and are typically

introduced with efforts made to build at least

the appearance of consensus.

In that light, it is of note that

protests on behalf of animals have for several

years received mostly favorable coverage from

state media. There is little evident police

effort to repress animal advocacy, and animal

advocates appear to have freedom to organize.

Repeated activist rescues of hundreds of

cats from delivery to live markets are given

extensive coverage and are portrayed with

sympathy, despite involving acts of civil

disbedience. Dog purges in rural population

centers in response to rabies outbreaks, though

ordered by public officials, are by contrast

often depicted as barbaric and backward.

The draft bill was first released for

expert comment in August 2009, was later

released for public comment, and was distributed

in English translation to obtain international

perspectives in late November 2009.

" China currently has the Wildlife

Protection Law, the Animal Epidemic Prevention

Law, the Livestock Husbandry Law, the Pig

Slaughter Regulations, the Laboratory Animal

Management Regulations and othe'˜

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