The Internet invasion that's threatening China's eco-system

The growth of online shopping, coupled with ever-increasing globalization, has seen a disturbing rise in the number of non-native animals and insects arriving in China. The problem has become so pressing that the customs authorities have issued new guidelines in an attempt to stem the influx, report Cheng Yingqi in Beijing and Liu Xiaoli in Haikou, Hainan province.

China is the world's biggest e-commerce market, accounting for about 40 percent of the world's online trade. That market is set reach $1 trillion by 2019, according to a report published by Forrester Research, an independent technology monitor.

However, while the growth of online transactions has provided many benefits, it also has many downsides, including one that is exacerbating one of the biggest challenges facing the country's environmental integrity - the rise of invasive alien species.