State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China

“ As one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, China has a profound understanding of biodiversity, as manifest in traditional Chinese culture and these aphorisms: “Man is an integral part of nature”; “Dao follows the laws of nature”; and “All beings are equal”. China, as one of the first countries to sign and approve the Convention on Biological Diversity, has always attached great importance to biodiversity conservation and preserves biodiversity with creative and up-to-date measures, achieving substantial progress on a distinctively Chinese path of conservation. ”

“ On September 30, 2020, at the United Nations Summit on Biodiversity, Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out that the whole of humanity needs to take on its pressing responsibilities, find a way for human and nature to coexist in harmony, and build synergy for and enhance global governance on the environment. Guided by the vision of building a global community of shared future, China will continue to contribute its part to global environmental governance. ”

“ Seeking green development and sustainable utilization of bio-resources. China cherishes the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and sees biodiversity as the foundation, objective and means of sustainable development. It has endeavored to promote the efficient and sustainable utilization of bio-resources, to allow nature to restore itself. It promotes green ways of life and work, and seeks development opportunities while preserving nature, to achieve win-win results in both biodiversity conservation and high-quality development. ”

“ Through some basic scientific research projects on biodiversity conservation, restoration and protection of typical vulnerable ecosystems, conservation of species, and protection of rare and endangered wildlife, China has stepped up technology research and development in the restoration and protection of endangered wildlife, conservation of germplasm and genetic resources, and sustainable and profitable use of biological resources. ”

“ China has been fighting a tough battle against pollution; currently, the pressure on biodiversity conservation is greatly eased, the eco-environment keeps improving, and a framework of shields for ecological security has been largely completed. ”

“ Respecting nature and prioritizing biodiversity conservation. China follows the principles of respecting and protecting nature and obeying nature's laws, and prioritizes biodiversity conservation in social development. Given its eco-environment and natural resources, China has balanced its natural and artificial measures for the conservation and restoration of important ecosystems, species and genetic resources, to ensure ecological security and biological security. ”

“ To solve prominent environmental problems, China has carried out inspections focusing on major issues such as biodiversity conservation, climate change, the 10-year ban on fishing in the Yangtze River, and marine environmental protection. The system serves to push governments at all levels and relevant departments to take responsibility for protecting the eco-environment, providing strong institutional guarantees for conserving biodiversity. ”

“ China attaches great importance to protecting biological resources, and has made considerable progress in the research on biological resources and their collection and preservation in recent years. To steadily increase protection and use of wildlife resources, China has rolled out special plans for strategic biological resources, which have helped to improve bio-resource collection and preservation platforms, and create platforms for germplasm resource innovation and natural compound transformation as well as libraries for derivatives of genetic resources. ”

“ Efforts have been made to devise marketing strategies for green products, which are overseen by the government, adapted to commercialized operation, and support sustainable development, and in which enterprises and all sectors of society participate. The aim is to turn eco-environmental strengths into growth drivers for quality development and motivate the public to preserve biodiversity. ”

“ China supports collaborative efforts in building a stronger global ecological security barrier and an ecosystem that respects nature, and is ready to work with all the parties to push for a joint role for the Convention and other international conventions. ”

“ Since 1956 when the first nature reserve was set up, China has established close to 10,000 PAs of all types and at all levels, accounting for about 18 percent of its total land area. In recent years, it has built a PA system with national parks as the mainstay, supported by nature reserves and supplemented by nature parks, laying the foundation for protecting natural habitats, improving the eco-environment, and protecting ecological security in the country. ”

“ China has set up a relatively complete ex-situ conservation system including botanical gardens, wildlife rehabilitation and breeding centers, germplasm resource centers, and gene banks. To date, China has built a total of about 200 botanical gardens and arboretums exhibiting 23,000 species of plants, and 250 wildlife rehabilitation and breeding centers where over 60 types of rare and endangered wild animal are successfully bred. ”

“ On important occasions such as the International Day for Biological Diversity, World Wildlife Day, World Wetlands Day, World Environment Day, and Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Public Awareness Month, events will be held to encourage broad social participation and raise public awareness of eco-environmental conservation. ”

“ Encouraging Public Engagement
⁠China continues to strengthen publicity and education on biodiversity conservation. An action system involving stronger government guidance, corporate action, and extensive public participation is taking shape. Public participation in biodiversity conservation has grown and become more diversified. ”

“ Adopting a zero-tolerance policy toward illegal activities involving wildlife trade, China has carried out trans-department, cross-region and cross-border joint actions to crack down on the trafficking of rare and endangered wildlife. ”

“ The number of species in the China-Russia transboundary nature reserve continues to grow, and wild Siberian tigers are beginning to migrate freely between PAs in Russia and China. The China-Laos transboundary biodiversity reserve, with an area of 200,000 hectares, effectively protects rare and endangered species such as Asian elephants and their habitats. ”

“ China has put in place monitoring and observation networks for various ecosystems and species. These networks have played an important role in supporting biodiversity research, demonstrating and promoting relevant technology, and protecting species and their habitats, thereby providing diverse information services and decision-making support for scientific research and education, popularizing science and exploiting resources. ”

“ China has made greater efforts to guard against and respond to the invasion of alien species. It has improved the collective response to invasive alien species by putting in place inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms. China issued the List of Invasive Alien Species in China in four groups in 2003, 2010, 2014 and 2016 respectively, and the List of Key Invasive Alien Species under State Supervision in 2012, covering a total of 83 invasive species detected in the country. China has brought invasive alien species under survey, monitoring, early warning, control and extermination. ”

“ China is accelerating legislation on accessing and sharing the benefits of biogenetic resources, strengthening their conservation, supervision and regulation, and preventing their loss or chaotic utilization. ”

“ It will work to improve natural ecosystems, reinforce eco-environmental services, and provide more eco-environmental products, to achieve a virtuous cycle of natural ecosystems and meet the people's growing demand for a beautiful eco-environment.
⁠China will always stand guard for our harmonious and beautiful planet for all life and contribute to its wellbeing with action. ”

“ China has set up special projects on biodiversity research, developed database and information platforms, and improved technologies and standards for survey, observation and assessment to provide strong technical support for biodiversity conservation. ”

“ In a tough stand against illegal activities, China has established collaboration mechanisms for cross-region and trans-department joint actions on enforcing the Yangtze River fishing ban and withdrawal of fishermen concerned, and has conducted special campaigns against illegal fishing. ”

“ Elks, once nowhere to be found in the wild, have grown to 8,000 in number thanks to the three conservation bases in Nanhaizi of Beijing, Dafeng of Jiangsu, and Shishou of Hubei. Emergency measures have also been taken to save and protect 120 plant species with extremely small populations such as the Cycas debaoensis, Manglietiastrum sinicum and Abies beshanzuensis, and to restore to their natural habitats 112 species of rare and endangered wild plants native to China. ”

“ To restore degraded ecosystems, and improve and stabilize them, China has carried out multiple conservation and restoration projects, which have succeeded in improving and restoring wildlife habitats in key regions. ”

“ More than RMB260 billion was earmarked in biodiversity-related causes in each of 2017 and 2018, six times the figure of 2008. Meanwhile, China has used fiscal and tax incentives to mobilize private capital to invest in biodiversity conservation. ”

“ This way, it has gradually built a technical system for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. China has taken full advantage of the strengths of universities and research institutes, and integrated science and education to reinforce the training of professionals on biodiversity. ”

“ In 2020, the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress adopted at its 16th session the Decision to Comprehensively Prohibit the Illegal Trade of Wild Animals, Eliminate the Bad Habits of Wild Animal Consumption, and Protect the Health and Safety of the People. ”

“ These measures are helping them transform faster to green, low-carbon growth to the benefit of the people.
⁠China has established the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition, with international partners from over 40 countries. The Coalition facilitates cooperation on biodiversity conservation, global climate change governance and green transformation.
⁠The BRI Environment Big Data Platform is in the making. The platform aims to collect biodiversity data from over 100 countries and provides data in support of the initiative's green development. ”

“ It has improved the long-term mechanism for monitoring law enforcement concerning wild animal protection. Special law enforcement campaigns have been launched to combat illegal activities threatening wildlife and their habitats, including the Green Shield inspections of nature reserves, the Blue Sea initiative for marine environmental protection, the Sword campaigns targeting fisheries, and the Kunlun actions against crimes and violations in the fields of food, drugs and the environment. ”

“ It has set up the China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Center, and launched and implemented with ASEAN member states a number of cooperation initiatives, including the China-ASEAN Cooperation Plan on Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation, and the Core Environment Program and Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Fruitful results have been achieved in biodiversity conservation, corridor planning and management, and community livelihood improvement. ”

“ It has organized special actions against illegal wildlife trade, and increased its effort to combat illegal and criminal activities concerning biodiversity. It has taken tough steps to stop and punish all activities that do damage to ecosystems, species and biological resources. ”

“ The relevant PAs have been integrated into these national parks under unified management, comprehensive protection and systematic restoration.
⁠The well-planned PA system has brought 90 percent of terrestrial ecosystem types and 71 percent of key state-protected wildlife species under effective protection. The habitats for wild animals have been expanding and their populations are growing. The population of giant pandas in the wild has grown from 1,114 to 1,864 over the past four decades. ”

“ It has also built 31 germplasm preservation fields and two germplasm resource centers for medicinal plants, preserving over 12,000 copies of seeds and seedlings.
⁠Launching well-planned campaigns to save endangered species. China has launched campaigns to rescue rare and endangered wildlife, expand their population through artificial breeding, and reintroduce them to natural habitats in a phased manner. The captive population of breeding pandas has grown in numbers and quality. ”

“ It has formulated guidelines on sustainable production for better conservation of bio-resources. It has improved the certification of green products such as green food, organic farm produce, forest products with ecolabels, and sustainable aquaculture products. ”