PERDAGANGAN SATWA LIAR ASIA TENGGARA DALAM RANTAI NILAI INDUSTRI OBAT TRADISIONAL TIONGKOK

This paper aims to explain the relationship between wildlife trade in Southeast Asia and the production of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The conceptual framework includes value chain trade, economic asymmetry, and laundering. The research method is qualitative through a literature review of scientific sources, including books, journals, and online articles. The results show that the Golden Triangle in Laos is the main gateway for illegal wildlife trade to China, managed by Kings Romans International Ltd. The Illegal business operates under a legally registered casino business to avoid international and national pressures. Subsequently, animals smuggled to China are processed into TCM and distributed to domestic and overseas markets. To legitimize the illegal components of TCM, pharmaceutical companies exploit national and international legal loopholes that are insufficient in addressing the trade of rare wildlife and derivatives.