Sustainability of Forest Development in China from the Perspective of the Illegal Logging Trade

Abstract

The illegal logging trade (ILT) is considered one of the major causes of global deforestation and ecological unsustainability. To prevent the price-suppressing damage caused by ILT to the local wood market and global ecological environment, the Chinese government and non-governmental organizations have taken many actions to deal with it. This study used wood trade data to analyze the current status of ILT in China, summarized the efforts and shortcomings of ILT response actions taken by China, and discussed the possible strategies and sustainable development prospects for combating ILT in China’s future. After studying China’s situation in the field of ILT and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of China’s measures to deal with ILT, this study found that the volume of ILT gradually increased in China from 2013 to 2020, which might also be one of the reasons for the slowdown in global ecological sustainability. The Chinese government and non-governmental organizations have taken many actions to deal with ILT through legislation, industry supervision, and international cooperation; to date, these response actions have achieved some positive results. Therefore, on this basis, this study proposed that China needs to further limit and manage ILT to achieve sustainable development of forest resources in the future. Strengthening the legislation, especially the restriction of ILT clauses, as a mandatory policy is the most important means to solve the ILT problem, which can provide the legal basis and a reference for other actions. Using economic means to encourage the import of legal wood is also a viable action to crowd out the trade of illegal wood. It is also necessary to promote an international certification system for wood and the standardization and systematization of logging is also a good way to mitigate ILT. Improving the management of wood being imported into China will fill a critical gap at the global scale in dealing with ILT and have positive impacts on combating global ILT.