China is cracking down on the illegal ivory trade . Several tons of confiscated elephant tusks and carvings were crushed in a ceremony in the city of Guangzhou on Monday -- just two months after the United States destroyed its own ivory stockpile . Conservationists have welcomed the move as a monumental shift in the government 's approach to the ivory trade , and a crucial first step for China -- the world 's largest ivory market -- to tackle illicit wildlife trafficking . Some 6.15 tons of ivory were destroyed on Monday -- equivalent to one-sixth of the illegal ivory confiscated worldwide in 2012 -- according to May Mei , the Chinese chief representative of wildlife protection group , WildAid , who attended the ceremony . It 's the first time China , which accounts for around 70 % of global demand for ivory , has destroyed any of its stockpile . The fact that China is taking a public stance against the practice is an encouraging sign , says Jeff He , special assistant to the Asia Regional Director at the International Fund for Animal Welfare ( IFAW ) . `` With the government taking such a symbolic action , it sends out a very strong message to the potential consumers that the government wo n't allow any illegal trade in ivory , '' he said . Ivory is known as `` white gold '' in China and tusks with intricate carvings can fetch almost $ 3,000 per kilogram on the black market . One of the biggest challenges remains dampening demand among consumers , say animal welfare campaigners . According to a 2013 WildAid report , many Chinese residents have little awareness of how ivory sales contribute to the poaching that has caused the world 's elephant population to dwindle in recent years . `` This event in itself is not going to solve these issues , '' said Joe Waltson , Asia Program Director at the Wildlife Conservation Society , `` but that does n't mean it does n't have any value . '' `` It needs to be welcomed , if only to embolden those within the Chinese government who are pushing for more substantive action on this issue , '' Waltson said . `` It could really have an impact on the conservation of African and Asian elephants . '' A report released by the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species last year found that the global illegal ivory trade has tripled in the last decade , in spite of 1989-ban on the international trade of the product . According to the IFAW 's Jeff He , a rise in demand from Asia , and especially China , in recent years has fueled the black market and put increasing pressure on African elephants in the wild . The elephant population in Africa has now shrunk to around half a million , from 1.2 million in 1980 . Nearly one hundred African elephants are killed for their tusks every day , according to the Wildlife Conservation Society . To help wipe out the demand for ivory , conservation groups have called on governments to destroy confiscated ivory stockpiles , which often require substantial resources to keep secure . On November 15 , the U.S. destroyed its entire 6-ton stockpile of ivory `` to send a clear message that the United States will not tolerate ivory trafficking and the toll it is taking on elephant populations , particularly in Africa . '' Similar events have taken place in the Philippines , Gabon , and Kenya in the last three years .
China crushed 100 tons from its stocks of confiscated elephant ivory . China accounts for 70 % of the world 's ivory market . The event comes two months after the U.S. crushed its own stockpile . Animal welfare groups welcomed the event as a first step to combat wildlife crime .