Animal activists to lobby US ambassador over rodeo

BEIJING - A coalition of 71 Chinese animal rights groups on Friday released a statement calling for the cancellation of Rodeo China, the Sino-US cultural exchange event that will introduce what it termed commercially driven cruelty to the country.

Qin Xiaona, head of the Capital Animal Welfare Association, said an open letter will be sent to Gary Locke, the United States ambassador to China, to call on the US to cancel the event.

The letter says the cruelty in rodeo shows cannot be concealed by "any animal welfare measures enforced by anyone under any pretext", and that even many Americans consider rodeos to be abusive.