Central People Government of People Re : The Internet invasion that’s threatening China’s eco-system

The growth of online shopping, coupled with ever-increasing globalization, has seen a disturbing rise in the number of non-native animals and insects arriving in China. The problem has become so pressing that the customs authorities have issued new guidelines in an attempt to stem the influx.

China is the world's biggest e-commerce market, accounting for about 40 percent of the world's online trade. That market is set reach $1 trillion by 2019, according to a report published by Forrester Research, an independent technology monitor.

However, while the growth of online transactions has provided many benefits, it also has many downsides, including one that is exacerbating one of the biggest challenges facing the country's environmental integrity－the rise of invasive alien species.

Every year, non-native species are entering the country in increasing numbers. Some arrive in air and maritime freight, but more and more are being brought into the country illegally via online transactions, causing economic losses and widespread environmental damage by driving native species from their habitats and in some case even wiping them out.

At the last count, there were 544 invasive alien species in China, 50 of which are considered the most dangerous in the world. Their presence results in direct economic losses of 57.4 billion yuan ($8.7 billion) every year.

MA XUEJING/CHINA DAILY

Tighter regulations

The problem has now become so pressing that new guidelines were enacted on Jan 1, designed to strengthen supervision of cross-border e-commerce. The new rules, which were published by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in July, include a series of measures that require inspection and quarantine authorities at all levels to set up files on online stores and build a traceability system for products that pose potential safety risks.