National parks bolster wildlife populations

China has seen a steady growth in the wild populations of several flagship species since it began promoting the development of a national park system over a decade ago, an official with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said on Thursday.

During the same period, the stability and diversity of the country's ecosystems have also steadily improved, said Sun Hongyan, deputy director of the administration's nature reserve department, at a news conference.

The national park system was first proposed in 2013 during the third plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee. The country launched 10 pilot parks in 2015 and officially designated five of them as national parks in October 2021.