By Peter J. Li

After spending over 13 years living and working in China, I became both aware of the Animal Rights issues that plague the country but also the many individuals working to change the current system. I was introduced to Animal Rights through Chinese philosophical thinking and traditions, and therefore am always surprised to hear Western opinions on China as a place where cruelty against animals in intrinsic to Chinese culture. In fact, quite the opposite is true with China. These beliefs about Chinese culture as inherently cruel are driven by racist, Sinophobic narratives common throughout the West. I have written about them here. Animal cruelty is not unique to China, far from it. As the biggest farming nation in the world, it is important Animal Rights activists understand the issues in China without resorting to racist tropes.

This book is an exceptional study into the animal welfare challenges in China today, from bear bile farming to dog slaughter and a lack of animal cruelty laws, Peter provides the most in-depth look at the issues to date. Chinese animal rights activists are working in a difficult environment where political and historical concerns over food security overtook the traditional values of Chinese philosophical thought that frequently placed non-human animals on an equal footing with humans. From Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, Chinese traditional thinking has emphasized the unity of nature and humanity, with Zhuang Zhou and early Daoist texts possibly representing some of the earliest arguments against speciesism. Peter explores the practices that emerged from this thought: vegetarianism, slaughter suspension, and mercy release. He goes on to provide a nuanced looked at the complex issues that has led to animal welfare violations today in China. This work is fascinating and highly recommended for anyone interested in China and animal welfare.

Title: Animal Welfare in China

Part of the series: Animal Publics (12 books)

Author: Peter J Li

ISBN: 978-1743324707

Publisher: Sydney University Press

Read an interview with the author here.

Peter Li is a Chinese associate professor at the University of Houston Downtown. He teaches East Asian Politics, U.S. Foreign Policy, Politics and Animal Rights, Contemporary China, and international relations.

Abdourahamane Ly, guest curator for Veganuary at Global Literature in Libraries Initiative, has been vegan for the past seven years now. He is extremely passionate about animal rights and encouraging more humans, especially Africans, to go vegan. He was born in Guinea in West Africa but spent the last 13 years in China. He is currently in Rwanda spreading the vegan message. You can follow him on Instagram at @fulanivegan and X at @fulanivegan.