Cruelty Free International (CFI), an organization working to end animal testing, has launched an initiative to attract global cruelty-free beauty companies to operate in China. CFI partnered with Chinese government liaison Knudsen & Co. and production facility Fengpu Industrial Park to help circumvent China’s current animal testing requirement, which precludes vegan and cruelty-free companies from selling finished beauty products in China and maintaining a cruelty-free status. The program focuses on an existing loophole that allows companies to manufacture their goods in China, with no need to test the finished product on animals—a process that CFI will oversee to ensure compliance on all sides, while promoting the safety of cruelty-free production to Chinese officials and companies. “The pilot will open up China’s AUD$60 billion ($44 billion) cosmetics market to several brands who have been unable to reconcile their cruelty-free stance with the practice,” Global Cosmetic News reports. CFI explained that consumer interest in cruelty-free cosmetics is growing in the country, and businesses are looking to capitalize on that demand. “Having worked intensely with our partners in China, we are delighted to be able to announce this groundbreaking project,” CFI CEO Michelle Thew said. “This is a really exciting scheme that could benefit animals, consumers, and cruelty-free companies alike.”

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