<table><tr><th>From:</th><th>Richard Kahn &lt;</th></tr><tr><td>Sent:</td><td>Tuesday, March 4, 2014 2:54 PM</td></tr><tr><td>To:</td><td>Jeffrey Epstein</td></tr><tr><td>Subject:</td><td>Fwd: Yao Ming Asks China Government to Ban Ivory</td></tr></table>

should i forward this to =hristina for an article? please advise

Richard Kahn
HBRK Associates Inc.
575 =exington Avenue, 4th Floor,
New York, New York 10022
tel =12-971-1306
fax =46-350-0954
cell =

Begin forwarded message:

From: John Baker <██████████████>

Subject: =/b>Yao Ming Asks China Government to Ban =vory

Date: March 4, 2014 10:09:08 PM EST

To: <█████████████████████>

Dear Richard,

Last week, China's 36 top business leaders released a pledge =o never purchase, possess, or give ivory as a gift. WildAid China Board =hairman, Huang Nubo spearheaded pledge recruitment including Cao =uowei, CEO of Sina Corp., China's largest internet portal, as well as =0 individuals from the Forbes 2013 China Rich List including Jack Ma, =ounder of the Alibaba Group.

WildAid =alutes their efforts and we continue to expand our communications =ctivities to broaden awareness and encourage more positive attitudes =or wildlife conservation because "when the buying stops, the killing =an too."

More details on Yao Ming's petition and =r Huang Nubo's ivory pledge:

Estimates show that at least 20,000 elephants are being =illed each year for their ivory. Elephant populations have been reduced =2% in the last 10 years. Rampant poaching is damaging the economies, =ourism industries, and stability of many African nations, while some -terrorist organizations are receiving funding from the trade in illegal =vory.

A recent survey carried out by WildAid and =the African Wildlife Foundation and Save the Elephants] of 961 =esidents in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou indicates that 94% of those =urveyed support a government ban on ivory. China has recently begun =trengthening enforcement on illegal ivory smuggling, and earlier this =ear destroyed over 6 tonnes of confiscated ivory, showing the resolve =f the Chinese government to stifle the trade in illegal wildlife =roducts.

## Issues

1. After the ban on =nternational ivory sales in 1989, the market for ivory was =ignificantly reduced, leading to corresponding reductions in poaching =f elephants and an increase in elephant populations. After the purchase =f an ivory stockpile in 2008 which has helped revitalize Asian markets =or ivory, poaching of elephants across Africa has increased rapidly. =his shows that the trade in ivory is the main driver of elephant =oaching.

2. Criminal gangs are =ncreasingly smuggling ivory into China, causing China to spend a great =mount of manpower, funding, and other resources to combat this =muggling and storing of confiscated ivory. This is to the detriment of =hina's economy and safety.

3. Because of ivory's =igh market value, it is often purchased to be given as gifts, very =ften leading excess and corruption in the government.

4. China has made great =chievements in recent years on the protection of wildlife, but China's =vory market and ivory smuggling have damaged China's international =eputation.

## Recommendations

Because the ivory trade is =eading to the poaching of elephants, I recommend that China ban all =ales of ivory, prohibit imports of ivory, prohibit the sale, purchase, =ransport, carrying, and shipping of all ivory products. I believe =hat this ban on ivory will lead to the protection of elephants, ease =he burden on customs officials, maintain safety, and help make China a =eader in wildlife conservation.

Ivory =ledge

In recent years, poaching as a =esult of the trade in illegal ivory is posing enormous threats to the =urvival of elephants. I'm aware of the =ollowing:

	1. Each year around 25,000 African elephants are =illed for their ivory

	2. The population of =lephants has declined 62% in the last 10 =ears

3. Rampant elephant poaching is having negative =mpacts on the economy, tourism, and national security of many African =ations

	4. Terrorist groups in Africa are being supported in =art through the illegal ivory =rade

5. According to official reports and statistics, =hina is the largest importer of illegal ivory, and Chinese nationals =re increasingly involved in the illegal ivory =rade

	6. Illegal ivory trade is damaging China's =nternational reputation.

Because of this, I pledge the =ollowing:

## Recommendations (cont.)

1. I will not purchase, possess, or =ive ivory as a gift 2. I will encourage friends, family, =nd employees to not purchase ivory products

Signatories

Ding=Liguo – Founder, Liguo Corp.
Feng Lun – Chairman, Vantone =oldings
Huang Nubo – Chairman, Zhongkun =roup
Jiang Xipei – Chairman, Yuandong =oldings
Li =ongsheng – Chairman, TCL Group
Li Shufu – Chairman, Geely =roup
Li =henfu – China Regional President, Novartis =harmaceuticals
Liu =huanzhi – Chairman, Lenovo
Liu Donghua – Founder, Zhenghedao =roup
Liu =iren – Chairman, Dongruan =roup

Ma =un (Jack Ma) — Founder, Alibaba Group Niu Gensheng — Founder, Lao Niu =oundation Shen=Guojun — CEO and Chairman, Yintai Holdings =orp. Tang=Yue — Founding Partner, Blue Mountain China =apital Wang=Chaoyong — Founder and President, Xinzhongli International =oldings

Xie =ian – Art and culture critic
Xu Shaochun – Founder, Jindie Software =roup
Xu =ihong – Scholar, China Academy of =ience
Yang=Shaopeng – Chairman, Haifeng International Shipping =orp.
Yu =inhong – Founder, New Oriental =roup
Yuan=Yue – Chairman, Lingdian =onsulting
Zhang Weiying – Renowned =conomist
Zhang Xingsheng ( Jim Zhang) – Managing Directory, The =ature Conservancy Greater China Region Zhou Qiren –

Zhang Xingsheng ( Jim Zhang) – Managing Directory, The =ature Conservancy Greater China Region Zhou Qiren – Dean, Peking =iversity National Development =cademy
Zhou=Qifeng – Renowned Chemist
Zhu Xinli – Chairman, Beijing Huiyuan Beverage =ompany

AID

## Recommendations (cont.)

## Recommendations (cont.)

*   Address: 744 Montgomery Street #300, San Francisco, CA 94111
*   Telephone: redacted
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