Pakistan is looking to export live donkeys to China, as the gap between the country's huge demand and its decreasing supply has been widening for years.

随着中国巨大需求和供应减少之间的缺口逐年扩大，巴基斯坦正在寻求向中国出口活驴。

The project initiated¹ by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provincial² government and titled the "KP-China Sustainable Donkey Development Programme," is one of the many investment proposals the KP Planning and Development Department has put forward, according to the Pakistan-based The Express Tribune.

据巴基斯坦《论坛快报》报道，由开伯尔-普赫图赫瓦省政府发起、这项名为“KP-中国可持续驴开发计划”的项目，是该省规划与发展部门提出的进行投资的众多计划之一。

In the context of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the program, with an initial investment of 1 billion Pakistan Rupees ($9.81 million), aims to increase the donkey population of KP and create a channel which can ensure the uninterrupted supply of donkeys to China, according to a statement released one the KP-CPEC website.

据中国-巴基斯坦经济走廊网站发布的一份声明称，在中国-巴基斯坦经济走廊的背景下，首次投资的10亿巴基斯坦卢比（981万美元），旨在增加该省驴子的数量，建立一个可以保证不间断向中国供应驴子的渠道。

The website notes that while neglected in Pakistan, the animal is highly prized in China, especially for its hide which is used to manufacture traditional Chinese medicines.

该网站强调，尽管驴子在巴基斯坦被忽视，但是在中国却受到高度赞赏，尤其是它的皮，可以被用来制造传统中药。

Gelatin made from donkey skin has been long considered to have medicinal properties in China, traditionally being thought to nourish the blood, enhance the immune system and even prolong one's life.

在中国，驴皮制成的明胶长期以来都被视为拥有药用价值，在传统上被认为可以滋养血液、增强免疫系统，甚至延长人的寿命。

The most famous variety donkey gelatin, named "ejiao," is produced in Dong'e County in East China's Shandong Province. It is prized in China, with the price surging from 130 yuan($18.9) per kilogram in 2001 to 5,400 yuan this year according to the National Business Daily.

最著名的驴胶品种是中国东部山东省东阿县出产的“阿胶”。据《每日经济新闻》报道，它的价格已经从2001年的每千克130元，飙升到了今年的每千克5400元。

As consumption and prices rise, the market has seen supplies shrinking over the last 20 years.

随着消费和价格上升，过去20年的市场供应已经有所减少。

According China's National Bureau of Statistics, donkey stocks have halved³ over the past two decades, dropping from 9.44 million in 1996 to 5.4 million in 2015.

据中国国家统计局的数据显示，过去二十年来，驴子的库存已经减少了一半，从1996年的944万减少到2015年的540万。