Prospects and challenges coexist in China’s new protected area system

Acting as a cornerstone in conserving biodiversity, protected areas (PAs) have played important roles in protecting the unique flora and fauna in China, yet a variety of issues have arisen, such as fragmented management, dispersed spatial pattern, and conflicts with socioeconomic development. To grapple with the problems associated with the current PA system, China is implementing nationwide institutional reforms by proposing a new coherent PA system with national parks as the main body. The reforms provide unprecedented opportunities to integrate the existing disjointed PAs into a unified and efficient system, and to meet international commitments. However, no previous experience is available for how to construct China’s new national park system. We decipher how the institutional reforms would change China’s PA system, and what the reforms can provide for China’s PAs and biodiversity, as well as potential challenges. Importantly, China’s PAs are stepping into a new era for nature conservation, with a strong hope to provide a quality environmental space for the rich and unique biodiversity.