Chinese officials on President's trip to Tanzania bought illegal ivory

Campaigners say rising demand in Asia is fuelling the poaching of elephants in Africa and the smuggling of ivory

Officials travelling to Tanzania with Chinese President Xi Jinping went on a buying spree for illegal ivory, an environmental activist group has said. The delegation bought so much ivory prices in the local market soared, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said in a report. 

 

Tanzania rejected the report as "stupid nonsense". China said the allegations were "groundless".

Conservationists say demand for ivory in China is fuelling poaching. In recent years, poaching has increased across sub-Saharan Africa, with criminal gangs slaughtering elephants for ivory.
 
Tanzania is the largest source of poached ivory in the world, according to the EIA.

BBC