China has tightened control over wildlife trading in recent weeks, raiding restaurants, produce markets and online marketplaces for illegal activity according to a senior official with the State Administration for Market Regulation. 

Yang Hongcan, director of the administration's law enforcement division, said on Saturday they have carried out almost 1.5 million inspections of physical businesses and more than 400,000 inspections of online vendors between Jan 21 and Tuesday as they work to clamp down on illegal wildlife trading. 

They have solved a number of relevant cases involving snakes, bamboo rats and some protected animals, and will continue to work with forestry, agricultural and other authorities to strengthen oversight and root out any form of illegal consumption of wildlife, he said. 

The administration will also launch an "awareness campaign" on wildlife consumption and promote a more civilized cuisine culture, he added. 

Wildlife consumption is believed to be associated with the ongoing outbreak of novel coronavirus. Scientists have said the virus very likely came from wild animals.

The disease, which first emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province in December, has killed more than 700 and infected almost 35,000 nationwide as of Friday.