Seized elephant tusks are displayed by customs authorities in Hong Kong in October. Ivory smuggling has fallen due to strict law enforcement in China in recent years. [Photo/China Daily]

The report also said the growing legitimate ivory trade in China is providing a smoke screen for illegal activity. It said "the system is presently out of control".

Meng Xianlin, executive director general of the Endangered Species Import and Export Management Office of China, said, "The truth is, the ivory market in China is shrinking, and China will gradually cut the number of licenses for retail outlets.

"The weight of authorized raw ivory in China every year is about 5 tons, but actually only 80 percent of that is made into ivory products," he said. "And the sales numbers are dropping. The investigation found that the sales of illegal ivory products is way smaller than the legal sales."

Meng also said consumption in China should not be blamed as being the major cause of the extinction of African elephants. Africa should step up to its own responsibility, he said.

John E. Scanlon, secretary-general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, agreed that it's not just China's responsibility. Other countries need to take responsibility for their own plants and animals and take measures to protect them, he said.

"We need support from source, transit and destination countries," Scanlon said. "China has been dealing with it responsibly as a destination country, showing great leadership through customs and other enforcement departments.

"Source and transit countries should do the same, taking their responsibility seriously and doing what they can. We are in this together."