PEKIN, China (AFP) — China will ban all ivory trade and processing by the end of 2017, the government said, in a move hailed by conservationists as a “game changer” for African elephants. African ivory is highly sought after in China, where it is seen as a status symbol, with prices for a kilo (2.2 pounds) reaching as high as $1,100. “To better protect elephants and better tackle the illegal trade… China will gradually stop […]