China and Russia have been talking about a cross-border zone to protect the rare Siberian (or Amur) tiger, involving Jilin province and the Primorsky Krai area of Russia, with the two countries expected to enforce the laws against poaching, bbc.co.uk reported on 30 August 2010.

The tiger is hunted for its skin and body parts, used in traditional Chinese medicine, which is one reason for the decline in tiger numbers, while other causes are a shrinking natural habitat, as a result of logging and human encroachment, leaving only several hundred Siberian tigers in the wild.

Chinese officials say they have been working on conservation projects and tried previously to connect protected forests in the province to give the tiger greater room to roam. The two countries will also need a monitoring system to track the tigers and conduct ecological surveys.