DONGGUAN, Guangdong, Jan. 6 -- The Chinese government destroyed 6.1 tonnes of confiscated ivory on Monday in Dongguan City of southern Guangdong Province.

Raw tusks and carved ivory pieces, which the government has seized over the years, were dumped into crushers and ground to rubble and ash.

"The event, the first public ivory destruction in China, was to demonstrate the country's determination to discourage illegal ivory trade, protect wildlife and raise public awareness," said Zhang Jianlong, deputy head of the State Forestry Administration (SFA).

It is a significant step in wildlife protection and will contribute to the global fight against elephant ivory smuggling, Zhang said.

The destruction of the ivory, held by the SFA and the General Administration of Customs, was also attended by representatives from a number of foreign countries and international organizations.

John Scanlon, secretary-general of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), said the crush showed China is determined to end this illegal trade.

"If you do trade illegally in elephant ivory, you now run a much higher risk of being arrested, prosecuted and severely punished, and the return on your investment in illegally traded ivory may end up being jail time, heavy fines and seized assets," said the secretary-general.

Ivory smuggling activities remain rampant globally. Latest figures released through the CITES Programme Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants showed that an estimated 22,000 elephants were killed in 2012.

Chinese laws stipulate that anyone involved in illegal business and trade in elephant ivory is liable to punishments ranging from six months imprisonment to a life sentence.