China establishes key pillars of national park system
China DailyCrested ibises rest near the Hanjiang River in Yangxian county of Hanzhong, Shaanxi province, in November. BEIJING -- China has established key pillars of its national park system, a significant institutional innovation in the country's ecological conservation construction, Zhang Liming, an official with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said on Thursday. China has been actively promoting the construction of a national park-based nature reserve system since 2012, Zhang told a press conference. Due to the country's unswerving conservation efforts, the number of flagship species within national parks has continued to grow. A flagship species is a rare and endangered species that is scientifically significant for global biodiversity conservation, and possesses a broad social appeal.