122 | China: Animal Rights and Animal Welfare regulations include articles related to animal welfare Yet most only touch on the issue in vague terms and are not enforceable In China, there is not yet any comprehensive anti-cruelty legislation Why is China so behind the rest of the world in animal welfare legislation? One study found four main obstacles (Mo & Zhou, 2005) First, treatment of animals in general is not a concern for policymakers (Mo & Zhou, 2005) Second, existing Chinese laws are discriminative in coverage Except for endangered species, most animals fall outside legal protections Third, existing laws and ordinances are no deterrence to cruelty against animals Law enforcement is a major challenge Fourth, articles in the existing laws are mostly overarching principles that have low enforceability Animal Welfare Legislation To its proponents, animal welfare legislation is long overdue Academics Song Wei and Wang Guoyan agree that there is a void in this policy area in China China’s sustainable development calls for animal welfare legislation to stop, for example, wildlife devastation China is also more likely to export animal products if it improves farming conditions (Qiao, 2004) Other proponents expressed similar views on the development and social importance of anti-cruelty legislation Mao Lei, a People’s Daily reporter, states: “For the sake of development, our legislative action on animal welfare ultimately serves the interest of us humans in the long run.” Legal restrictions placed on humans are worthwhile and necessary (Qiao, 2004) In her legislative proposal to the National People’s Congress, Li Xiaoxi called on the national legislature to outlaw cruel hunting and livestock-raising practices She referred to SARS and bird flu to emphasize the need for legal construction in animal welfare (Qiu, 2004) Mang Ping’s article “Animal welfare challenges human morality: animals should be free from fear and trepidation” touches on both the practical and philosophical aspects of animal treatment Pragmatically, poor animal welfare causes economic losses Philosophically, the author argues, as sentient beings, animals should be given moral consideration on farms, in transport, and when their lives end Rejecting the opposition’s arguments that animals cannot fulfill obligations, Mang asks if there is better obligation fulfillment than sacrificing one’s own life in return for humane treatment Mang also rejects arguments that animal welfare legislation does not fit China’s conditions She argues that China has a tradition of kindness to animals (Song & Wang, 2004) The opposing views are also clearcut Qiao Xingsheng sees no ground for animal welfare legislation at the present time Culturally, he points out, people in China not see animals as equals Legislatively, anti-cruelty law is a Western concept and therefore does not suit China Adopting such laws in China is practically unenforceable (*Song & Wang, 2004).) Liang Yuxia, a researcher at the CASS, agrees that anti-cruelty legislation is too progressive and unenforceable at present (Zhao, 2004b) In his article “The strange tales and absurd arguments of the animal welfare proponents,” Zhao Nanyuan rejects the view that animal welfare impacts human health He argues that SARS and bird flu have nothing to with poor animal welfare Factory farming, he claims, better controls diseases Animal welfare legislation, Zhao argues, could lead to meat