The change in the original sentence for a man who sold protected parrots can be a positive reference for other similar cases and may promote the development of China's rule of law, Xu Xin, a Chinese legal expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Xu is the attorney for Wang Peng, who appealed after being sentenced in late April 2017 to five years in prison for the illegal sale of protected parrots. 

(Photos: cctv.com)

In his second trial on March 30, the sentence was commuted to two years, taking into account that the parrots were artificially propagated and not seized in the wild, said Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court.

Xu told the Global Times that the sentence was a sign of progress, saying, "It reassessed the penalty for Wang within the framework of identified facts. This can be a positive guide for a group of similar cases that deserve a lenient sentence."

Wang's second trial drew the China's Supreme People's Court's attention to the judicial explanation involving animal cases. It may also lead to a change in the top court's explanation, Xu elaborated.

In his first trial in 2017, Wang claimed that he was not aware that the species was rare and that he had violated the law. As Wang began his sentence on May 17, 2016 he will be released on May 16 this year. 

Ren Panpan, Wang's wife, claimed that Wang bred parrots as a hobby and was not aware of the relevant laws. After Wang's second sentence was issued, Ren decided to continue to plead innocence in her husband's case, reported btime.com.

"Regardless of whether the result is changed, I will plead innocence. It is our right," Ren was quoted as saying by media.