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SCIO press conference on 'Biodiversity Conservation in China' white paper

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Phoenix TV:

We have noticed that according to some research, global biodiversity is dramatically decreasing. What experience can China, as one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, offer to others?

Zhao Yingmin:

Thank you for your question. All of the world's countries and all human beings are a community with a shared future and share in the challenges brought by the loss of biodiversity. China, as an important force in biodiversity conservation, has always pursued harmony between humanity and nature, constantly strengthening and creating biodiversity conservation measures. It has also yielded outstanding achievements while maintaining fast economic development. The experience we accumulated can be condensed into the following four aspects:

First: respecting nature and prioritizing biodiversity conservation. Following the principles of respecting and protecting nature and obeying nature's laws, China has built a nature reserves system centering on national parks and put forward "the ecological red-line" system by identifying the country's crucial ecological zones, thus playing an important role in protecting key ecosystems, species, and their habitats. A large number of ecological projects have also been launched, such as step-by-step protection and restoration of natural forests, and programs turning marginal farmland back into forests or grasslands or wetlands. China has advanced pilot projects for the conservation and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grasslands, deserts, and ice ecosystems, effectively restored the environment of the wild plants and animals in crucial areas, and increased the number of the species of wild animals. China has been fighting a tough battle of pollution prevention and control; the eco-environment has improved notably and the pressure on biodiversity conservation has been eased.

Second, seeking green development and sustainable utilization of bio-resources. China has promoted green, low-carbon ways of life and work

so as to ease the burden on biodiversity. China has integrated biodiversity conservation with development-oriented poverty alleviation and rural revitalization based on different local characteristics and traditional cultural features and exploited new ways to achieve win-win results in both biodiversity conservation and high-quality development. Cherishing the principle that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," China has also launched a pilot innovation-based construction site and base site for realizing eco-products values and turned ecological strengths into high-quality social-economic driving forces of development, thus fueling the motivation of biodiversity conservation throughout the country.

Third, enhancing institutional guarantee and coordinating actions for biodiversity conservation. By implementing the new development philosophy, China has strengthened biodiversity conservation as a national strategy, improved laws, regulations, and policies to provide institutional guarantee for biodiversity protection and management. China has ramped up biodiversity conservation through top-level design. It has been included in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Social and Economic Development. The China Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2011-2030) has been adopted as a guideline for mid- and long-term work. Biodiversity conservation tasks are incorporated into mid- and long-term plans of all regions and fields across China.

Fourth, upholding multilateralism and win-win cooperation. China firmly supports a multilateral biodiversity governance system, actively participates in its process, and fulfills its obligations prescribed in the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relating treaties. China has been providing assistance within its ability to other developing countries through many bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms, such as the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition and South-South cooperation, thus deepening international exchanges and cooperation on biodiversity and contributing China's strengths and proposals to the great vision of achieving harmony between humanity and nature. Thank you!