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Download Alien species of plants and animals will become an increasing menace over the next decade due to the rapid development of the world economy and a lack of awareness of proper prevention measures, experts have warned. A greater number and variety of invasive species may be accidentally introduced into China with the rapid growth of world trade, tourism and transportation, said Wan Fanghao, director of the department of invasive biology at the institute of plant protection under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. This will threaten agriculture and even human health, Wan said. Imported agricultural products, packing boxes and containers can easily act as alien carriers,he told China Daily. An invasion of alien species can cause untold damage if adequate measures to tackle it are not taken, he added. China, one of the countries most affected, has confirmed more than 520 varieties of alien species, including 268 plants, 198 animals, and microorganisms. Annual economic losses in China caused by the presence of just 13 alien species, including whitefly, leaf miner and rice-water weevil, exceed 57 billion yuan ($9 billion), academy figures showed. Border quarantine officers registered more than 320,000 detections of 3,400 harmful species at entry points in the first nine months of last year, according to figures from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. | 
