Even in the 1980s, when China’s scientific, technological and socioeconomic development was relatively low, the Regulations on the Administration of Laboratory Animals stipulated that personnel engaged in laboratory animal work must care for laboratory animals and shall not tease or abuse them. With the rapid development of life science research and the biomedical and health industry, as well as the increasing use of laboratory animals, scientific issues such as laboratory animal welfare and animal testing ethics have attracted growing attention.

In 1997, the Several Opinions on the Development of Laboratory Animals during the Ninth Five-Year Plan Period issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology incorporated the basic concept of the 3Rs into a regulatory document for laboratory animal management and scientific and technological development for the first time. It also listed research on the replacement of laboratory animals as a key area of basic research and proposed key funding support.

In 2001, the Tenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of Scientific Research Conditions further clearly stated that while fully implementing the legalized management of laboratory animals, efforts should be made to promote the establishment of an animal welfare guarantee system in line with international standards. This provided strong policy support for research on laboratory animal welfare and alternative methods of animal testing in China’s scientific and technological field.

To further advance research on laboratory animal welfare policies and technical specifications, and formulate relevant laws and management measures conducive to scientific and technological progress, in 2002 the Ministry of Science and Technology issued a notice supporting the project Research on Laboratory Animal Welfare and Technical Specifications in Line with International Standards, which ran from February 2003 to October 2005.

The research closely integrated China’s actual conditions and future development needs, putting forward welfare plans and technical specifications consistent with both international practice and national conditions, and providing a scientific basis for legislation and administration of laboratory animal welfare in China.

Seven subtopics were established under the project, covering:

Implementation plans for laboratory animal welfare

Technical specifications for housing and equipment design

IVC and isolator design standards

Bedding materials

Anesthesia, restraint and euthanasia procedures

The project passed expert inspection organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2005. Its main achievements included:

Completion of the research report and 14 supporting technical documents

Publication of nine papers in a special column on laboratory animal welfare

Release of the monograph Progress in Animal and Laboratory Animal Welfare Legislation (2004), compiling laws and regulations from more than a dozen countries and international organizations.

Based on the project outcomes, the China Medical University continued to develop detailed rules for laboratory animal welfare management, completing a draft in January 2006. In March 2006, the draft was reviewed by experts organized by the Beijing Laboratory Animal Administration Office and submitted to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

On September 30, 2006, the Ministry of Science and Technology formally issued the Guiding Opinions on Humane Treatment of Laboratory Animals (GKFC [2006] No. 398). Its implementation has played an important role in improving laboratory animal management, safeguarding animal welfare, promoting harmony between humans and nature, and meeting the needs of scientific research, economic development and international exchanges.