Participants of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), said China has never before admitted to allowing the trade. However, during the convention's standing committee meeting in Geneva Friday, China reportedly said it allowed the trade of tiger skins, but not tiger bones.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told international media that he could not verify the reported admission, but said that China will "investigate and combat" any illegal trade in tiger skins, leading some conservation experts to question what is considered illegal in China's approach to endangered animals.
Some 5,000 to 6,000 tigers are believed to be in captivity in China. Wildlife conservation organisations have long demanded an end to the trade in skins, which they believe is fueling 'tiger farming', which in turn is fueling the poaching and trafficking of the endangered species elsewhere.
They say the admission at the meeting will increase pressure on China to curb the practice.
A new report on illegal wildlife trade suggests that around 1,600 tigers, both from captivity and the wild, have been traded globally since 2000, but experts say China is not the only country to blame. While it is a major market, other South East Asian countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Lao, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia are also emerging as consumers, where tiger farming is growing.
A report by the Species Survival Network (SSN), whose members include more than 100 wildlife conservation organisations, claims the skins of tigers, leopards and snow leopards are valued among the political, military and business elite as luxury home decorations in China and are often gifted as part of non-financial bribes.
Just over 3,000 tigers are believed to be left in the wild internationally. More than half of those are in India, where 42 tigers were killed last year.