A Chinese national recently arrested in Tanzania for allegedly trafficking ivory for several years has provoked strong indignation among netizens on China's social networks.
Yang Fenglan, dubbed the "Ivory Queen", was arrested by Tanzanian authorities, accused of 14 years of ivory smuggling, and being involved in the sale of over 700 pieces of ivory for an amount equivalent to two million Euros, according to a report in Chinese newspaper Caixin.
At the time of her arrest, Yang was working as an interpreter on the Tanzania-Zambia railway, a project symbolic of China-Africa friendship and was also "the secretary-general of the Tanzania-China-Africa Business Council." She also owns a Chinese restaurant in the country, according to police sources.
"Yang acted against the law and became greedy. She deserves severe punishment," wrote a netizen nicknamed "Fanyirenhua" at weibo.com, Chinese Twitter-like website. For most net users, both in China and abroad, Yang's acts have tarnished the Chinese image and the friendship between China and Africa.
The Chinese government has taken a series of measures to protect wild animals. Despite international efforts, poaching continues unabated in Africa. According to a survey conducted in June by the Tanzanian Research Institute of Wildlife, the elephant population has fallen by 63 percent in the last five years.
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