On 24-28, October, 2016, the CITES Management Authorities (MAs) of China and Viet Nam jointly hosted a China Viet Nam CITES Implementation and Enforcement Training Workshop in Guilin, Guangxi Province, China with the paticipants from sectors of forestry, environment, customs, border control, forest police, NGOs and academic institutions from both countries respectively. The Workshop is aiming to further enhance bilateral cooperation in combating wildlife crime based on the bilateral MoU signed between CITES MAs of China and Vietnam in order to facilitate better implementing CITES. It is a good opportunity for both sides to have dialog seeking for solutions to end illegal wildlife trafficking by strengthening the direct communication at the border provincial level in intelligence and information exchange and law enforcement cooperation.

All participants agree that wildlife crime has been a serious threat to the endangered wildlife species. It damages environment, disturbs sustainable development, and even put national ecological security in danger. Two governmentsagreed to take more positive attitude to answer illegal wildlife trafficking issue for better public order and economy develpment. As neighboring countries with long term friendship, China and Vietnam both are persisting protection and sustainable use of nature resources. Both countries are dedicated in promoting sustainable development of economy, society, resource and environment by strictly implementing the CITES regulations, strangthening the comprehensive management,managing legal wildlife trade and firmly combating illegal wildlife trafficking. Thai Truyen, vice director of CITES MA Vietnam says: “ In recent years, government agencies from both countries pay high attention on cases and activities relating with wildlife trafficking at the border. Officers from both countries take decisive measures to punish criminals severely and cut off the illegal wildlife trade chain by law enforcement cooperation, establishing communication mechanism and information exchange. ”

In order to enhance the bilateral cooperation and promote the implementation of CITES MoU, participants from both countries reached the following recommendations:

1, Better use the existing cooperation mechanism between law enforcement agencies from both sides, and establish the direct communication mechanism between agencies from Guangxi and neighboring provinces in Vietnam on anti-smuggling comprehensive managing and tackling wildlife crime;

2, Based on the existing bilateral communication mechanism, strengthen intelligence exchange and real time case support during law enforcement actions and actively promote the integrated management of wildlife traffic and law enforcement into the agenda ;

3.  To jointly promote capacity-building in bilateral compliance management and law enforcement. The two sides plan to carry out joint training of law enforcement agencies between Guangxi Province of China and Quang Ninh Province of Vietnam in the next year to strengthen the experiences exchange of law enforcement officials of bilateral frontline while improving their skills.

4, Strengthening communications between two countries, launch verity capacity building activities and public awareness raising campaigns.

China and Vietnam will also take effective measures with other countries to stop the wildlife trafficking chain from the origins, transfer and demand side in order to improve the trade environment and better conserve the biodiversity.Meng Xianlin, Executive Director General of CITES MA China indicates that this meeting is a new milestone of enhancing the law enforcement cooperation of CITES between China and Vietnam. It represents the beginning of combating wildlife crime by mutual cooperation and it will become a firm foundation of further cooperation between two countries.
The meeting is supported by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Beijing Normal University, TRAFFIC and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).