Guangming Daily:

We've noticed that the draft National Park Law was recently submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation. Could you please share the latest progress in national park development and outline the key focus areas for future work? Thank you.

Liu Guohong:

I'd like to invite Mr. Yan to answer this question.

Yan Zhen:

Thank you for your question and continued support and concern for the national park initiative. As we all know, national parks are of crucial importance to our nation, representing a significant achievement in China's ecological civilization development. The CPC Central Committee has made a series of major decisions and arrangements regarding the establishment of the national park system. Over the past three years since the establishment of the first batch of national parks, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration has worked with relevant departments to accelerate the legislative process for the National Park Law to turn these major decisions and arrangements into institutional regulations. The draft of the National Park Law is now open for public comment, and we encourage everyone to share their thoughts and ideas.

In the legislative process, we entrusted the Chinese Academy of Sciences as a third party to conduct an evaluation. According to the evaluation results, since the establishment of national parks, populations of flagship species such as the giant panda, Siberian tiger, Amur leopard, and Tibetan antelope have seen sustained increases, while the ecological quality of these parks has seen steady improvement. As such, it's clear that ecological conservation efforts have yielded significant results. Thanks to joint efforts by governments and departments at all levels, new achievements have been made in the following four aspects this year:

First, resource protection and management have been further strengthened. We've intensified efforts to survey and mark protected area boundaries, completing the confirmation and registration of natural resource rights for Giant Panda National Park, Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park (NCTLNP), Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, and Wuyi Mountain National Park, all of which have been formally recorded on the register. Moreover, local governments and departments have been gradually tackling longstanding problems by adopting innovative solutions, including land swaps and conservation easement agreements. While maintaining strict protection measures, we have adopted flexible management strategies for major national strategic projects, facilities serving park residents, and ecological restoration initiatives.

Second, our monitoring and management capabilities have been greatly enhanced. We have introduced an independently developed high-tech monitoring system in the national parks. In the NCTLNP, a comprehensive ground-to-air monitoring system has been established. Monitoring data shows that populations of sika deer, roe deer, and other wild animals in the park have more than doubled since the park's pilot phase in 2017, strengthening the food chain for increasing numbers of wild Siberian tigers and Amur leopards. To safeguard public safety and property, the NCTLNP has also established a three-tier early warning system and installed physical barriers in key areas. Moving forward, we will further enhance the application of new technologies and equipment in the monitoring and management of national parks, such as satellite remote sensing, airships and drones.

Third, national parks have been delivering more benefits to local residents. More than 50,000 local farmers and herders have been employed as ecological protectors in national parks, dedicating themselves to conserving the ecosystems of their homeland. Moreover, stepped-up efforts have been made to increase local residents' income, including through ecological tourism, differentiated compensation mechanisms for eco-environmental conservation, and the development of communities located at or near national park entrances.

Fourth, our scientific and technological support capacity has been further enhanced. We have established a national giant panda conservation and research center by integrating existing resources, and are advancing efforts to set up national conservation and research centers dedicated to protecting Siberian tigers and Amur leopards, as well as Hainan black-crested gibbons. Additionally, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University, we have jointly established the Institute of National Parks,  setting up a national park art and design center within it. We've also brought in academicians and experts to participate in our conservation and research efforts, creating a high-level, open and shared platform.

Moving forward, we will thoroughly implement the guiding principles of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and fully advance the creation of a nature reserve system with national parks as the mainstay. We will adhere to the principle of putting ecological protection first, implement tailored strategies for each park, and support high-quality development with a high-quality ecological environment.

Thank you.