National network

The ministry has also been promoting construction of a national network to monitor biodiversity conservation.

At a news conference in January, Cui Shuhong, director-general of nature and eco-conservation department at the ministry, said that from 2015 to last year, the department invested 400 million yuan ($62 million) in biodiversity surveys and assessments, and the construction of a national biodiversity observation network.

Government bodies, including the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and various institutions at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, are also involved in the efforts, both in terms of conservation and by providing funds.

The work, involving more than 2,000 researchers, has provided a clear picture of the country's biodiversity situation.

Thanks to the efforts in the last five years, a preliminary monitoring network for biodiversity has already been established, Cui said. He noted that the 749 sample observation areas across the country allow the network to provide more than 700,000 pieces of data every year.

In January, Huang Runqiu, minister of ecology and environment, told the ministry's annual National Environmental Protection Conference that the system will be fully established this year.