| Summary: | A little-known aim of China’s Belt and Road initiative (BRI) is ‘people-to-people cultural exchange,’ including active promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in BRI countries. On a global scale this will likely increase both TCM demand and sourcing of wildlife-based TCM ingredients from new areas. Any rapid increase in wildlife demand risks exacerbating illegal and unsustainable trade but, with careful management, BRI-TCM could also present opportunities for well-governed supply chains, creating sustainable livelihoods for rural harvesters. With China reaching out to BRI countries to cooperate on the marketing, registration, and promotion of TCM products there is now a critical, short-term window to identify these risks and opportunities, and ensure that sustainability is built into these markets from the start.
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