NANCHANG -- A senior legislator has stressed a complete ban on eating and illegally trading wild animals to safeguard people's health and public health security.

Wang Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, made the remarks during a law enforcement inspection in east China's Jiangxi Province from Monday to Thursday.

Wang called for strictly implementing the Wildlife Protection Law and a decision adopted in February to completely ban illegal wildlife trade and eliminate the unhealthy habit of indiscriminate wild animal meat consumption.

Illegal wildlife trade chains must be cut off and offenders must be brought to justice, he said.

Wang also stressed protecting wildlife habitats, tightening supervision and management of non-food use of wild animals and improving the legal system for wildlife protection.