Animal performances will be banned in zoos in China, according to a guideline on the development of zoos released on Tuesday.

The guideline, formulated by the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens and released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, also requires all kinds of zoos to improve emergency mechanisms to ensure safety in case dangerous animals escape, and bans any animal abuse.

The guideline is aimed at facilitating zoos to better provide public service and ensuring sustainable development of zoos in China, the ministry said.

Problems still exist in zoo development in China, and a prominent one is that some zoos irregularly utilize animals for profit, such as organizing animal performances or selling products of wild animals, according to the ministry.