Wildlife trade policies in China and elsewhere have come under increased scrutiny following suggestions that the emergence of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 may have been linked to trade in wild animals. The breeding of and trade in most terrestrial wild animal species for consumption as food were prohibited in China in February 2020, but trade for non-food purposes such as ornamental items or traditional medicine continues to be covered by provisions in the Wildlife Protection Law (WPL). While a superficial reading of the WPL could lead to the conclusion that commercial trade in nationally protected species is generally prohibited, in practice key language is interpreted to permit commercial trade in the parts and derivatives of protected wild animal species, including those subject to the most stringent protection within China and internationally, such as leopards and pangolins.

在新型冠状病毒 SARS-CoV-2 疫情的影响下，中国与其他地区的野生动物贸易政策受到了越来越多的关注。2020 年 2 月，中国禁止了对大多数陆生野生动物物种以食用为目的的人工繁育和贸易，但以中医药、装饰品等非食用为目的的贸易仍然适用《野生动物保护法》的规定进行。浅读《野生动物保护法》可令人以为所有国家保护野生动物的商业性贸易都是违法，但在运作上，法律中的关键词被解释为允许对国家重点保护野生动物包括豹（Panthera pardus）和穿山甲（Manidae）等那些在中外受到最严格保护的物种的个体部分和制品进行商业性贸易。