The National Park-Based System of Protected Areas
Protected areas are the land and sea regions designated in accordance with relevant laws to enjoy long-term protection, which may host important natural ecosystems, natural heritage and natural landscapes, to preserve their natural resources, ecological functions or cultural values.
Protected areas are core spaces for building an eco-civilization and a beautiful China. They are of top importance to safeguarding China's ecological security. National parks, nature reserves and various nature parks are all protected areas in China.
The report to the CPC's 19th National Congress in 2017 announced the decision to develop a system of protected areas composed mainly of national parks and launch major reforms regarding the protected areas.
In June 2019, the central authorities published a document on developing the system, based on rational classification and layout and effective protection and management, so that important natural ecosystems, natural heritage, natural landscapes, and biodiversity will all benefit from systematic protection.
Building this system fulfills the reform task set at the CPC's 19th National Congress and applies Xi Jinping thought on eco-civilization. The goal for 2025 is to establish a sound national park system and put in place an initial system of protected areas composed mainly of national parks; the goal for 2035 is to have China lead the world in terms of scale and management of protected areas and build a Chinese-style system of protected areas.
以國家公園為主體的自然保護地體系
自然保護地是各級政府依法劃定或確認，對重要的自然生態系統、自然遺跡、自然景觀及其所承載的自然資源、生態功能和文化價值，實施長期保護的陸域和海域。自然保護地是生態建設的核心載體、中華民族的寶貴財富、美麗中國的重要象征，在維護國家生態安全中居于首要地位。自然保護地包括國家公園、自然保護區、各類自然公園等類型。
2017年，中共十九大提出，建立以國家公園為主體的自然保護地體系，啟動了自然保護地領域的重大改革。2019年6月，中共中央辦公廳、國務院辦公廳印發《關于建立以國家公園為主體的自然保護地體系的指導意見》，提出要建立分類科學、布局合理、保護有力、管理有效的以國家公園為主體的自然保護地體系，確保重要自然生態系統、自然遺跡、自然景觀和生物多樣性得到系統性保護。
建立以國家公園為主體的自然保護地體系，是貫徹落實習近平生態文明思想的重大舉措，是中共十九大提出的重大改革任務。中國建立以國家公園為主體的自然保護地體系的階段性目標是：到2025年，健全國家公園體制，初步建成以國家公園為主體的自然保護地體系；到2035年，自然保護地規模和管理達到世界先進水平，全面建成中國特色自然保護地體系。
