Wild Animals Protection Law

Wild Animals Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China
中华人民共和国野生动物保护法

[Current Text: Chinese, English]

(adopted Nov. 8, 1988, effective Mar. 1, 1989; amended and effective Aug. 28, 2004; amended and effective Aug. 27, 2009; revised July 2, 2016, effective Jan. 1, 2017; revised Dec. 30, 2022, effective May 1, 2023)

• Status: Revision passed
• Legislative Body (Vote): NPCSC (N/A)
• Principal Drafter & Submitter: NPC Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee
• Legislative Plans
  • Five-year: N/A
  • Special: Public Health Category I
  • Annual: 2020, 2021, 2022
• Legislative History & Text
  • NPCSC deliberation – round #3 (final): Dec. 27 – 30, 2022 (Current Text ⇧)
  • NPCSC deliberation – round #2: Aug. 30 – Sept. 2, 2022 (Chinese, English) 💬
    • Public consultation: Sept. 2 – Oct. 1, 2022
  • NPCSC deliberation – round #1: Oct. 13 – 17, 2020 (Chinese Δ, English) 💬
    • Public consultation: Oct. 21 – Nov. 19, 2020
• Legislative Records [Gazette 2023(1): 4–22]
  • Explanation (Oct. 13, 2020)
  • Report on Status of Revision (Aug. 30, 2022)
  • Report on Results of Deliberation (Dec. 27, 2022)
  • Report on Suggestions for Revision (Dec. 30, 2022)
  • Presidential Order (Dec. 30, 2022)

NPC Observer Coverage

• NPCSC Session Watch: Patent, Export Control, Personal Information Protection, Wildlife Protection & National Defense (Sept. 29, 2020)
• China to Postpone Annual NPC Session and Restrict Wide Animals Trade & Consumption (Feb. 17, 2020)

Last updated: August 8, 2025, 01:14 EDT