"Since the SARS outbreak there have been some changes in the way wildlife in China is protected, but very few," Xi said.

"In 1956 Dinghushan Nature Reserve, the first nature reserve in China, was established in Zhaoqing, Guangdong province. At the time the concept of concurrent conservation and hunting took root, as did the concept of protection. But this protection is based on the idea of utilization. Wild animals are seen as resources, just like forests, coal mines and water. Protecting resources is based on the idea of 'for my use'."

Consequently, large and small wild animal farms, tiger farms and bear farms flourished in China, all legally, Xi said.

"But ultimately, no matter where the wild animals come from, they'll end up on the market, and that's a terrible thing. It really saddens me that human civilization has brought us to this. That mindset of utilization has not changed. This is also the reality of wildlife protection in China."

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