Tracing seven decades of Chinese wildlife legislation from 1950 to the COVID-19 pandemic era

Due to its abundant biodiversity and active wildlife trade, China's wildlife governance has been in the spotlight, especially following the legislative reforms introduced after the COVID-19 pandemic, hailed as “a turning point for China's wildlife protection”. Using Kingdon's framework, we analysed China's evolution of wildlife legislation from 1949 to 2023, focusing on species protected under the Wildlife Protection Law, encompassing mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and insects. We examined the key drivers behind critical changes in China's approach to wildlife governance, the nature of these legislative changes, and their subsequent impacts. The analysis identifies and describes three historical phases that reflect gradual but key shifts in wildlife governance, notably from one focused on wildlife utilisation and increasingly towards conservation. The recent post-COVID changes, albeit driven by public health concerns, significantly pivot towards stricter conservation practices, aligning with China's philosophical shift towards “ecological civilisation.” These shifts uncovered how the key drivers shaped the relevant policy and legislation. This historical analysis offers conservationists and the broader conservation movement a valuable perspective. We suggest these individuals or groups explore the underlying factors and patterns that have influenced the evolution of conservation policy and legislation from a macro-historical scale. Such an understanding can enhance their confidence in lobbying the public and policymakers to support specific conservation proposals, strengthening the likelihood that their proposals can be accepted and translated into actionable policies. • Biodiversity loss and zoonotic epidemics have increased focus on wildlife legislation. • China's wildlife legislation has significant global implications for biodiversity conservation. • Legal reforms in China's wildlife governance highlight the global challenge of balancing conservation with utilisation.