We have introduced painless practices in obtaining bear bile, such as extracting the bile through tubes developed from bear tissue.

We have introduced painless practices for extracting bear bile. Until we can find a good substitute for bear bile, we cannot accept the EU resolution that urges the elimination of bear farming.

Before we find good alternatives for bear bile, we do not have a timetable to eliminate the practice (extracting bile from the gallbladder of farmed bears).

We will set limits to the amount of bear bile to be extracted and the number of bears to be raised in the farms, in accordance with the needs of traditional Chinese medicine.

Basically we now have the 'painless extraction' method. The bear's pain has been greatly reduced.

It's undesirable for the international community to link the issue of bear farming with other issues.