Dear friends, guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning!

Today SEPA holds a press conference to give a briefing on the lately released Plan for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Resources and Plan for Key National Protected Areas of Ecological Functions. For years, all departments of the State Council, international organizations and the news media have shown strong support to environmental protection. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you on behalf of SEPA. Now I will make some points on the two plans.

I. The two Plans meet the requirement of ecological protection in the new stage and have major practical implications.

To promote conservation culture is a new requirement set out in the 17th CPC report to realize the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. It is a lofty mission conferred on environmental protection departments, providing guidance to environmental work in the new stage. To promote conservation culture, we must strengthen ecological protection. The development and implementation of Plan for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Resources and Plan for Key National Protected Areas of Ecological Functions is an important move and effective means to thoroughly apply Scientific Outlook on Development, promote conservation culture and improve the quality of eco environment.

The two Plans are prepared to meet the urgent need of maintaining national ecological security. Since the reform and opening up, the CPC central committee and the State Council have adopted a series of major measures to strengthen eco protection, which has protected and improved China's environment in some areas effectively. However, as China has a vast territory, complex natural conditions, extensive economic growth mode and intensive use of resources, some ecological functions still experience deterioration including water and soil conservation, flood control, wind breaking and sand fixation as well as maintaining biodiversity so that the eco functions of major eco function zones see overall degradation and serious loss of bio resources. This has greatly affected national eco security and limited sustainable development in some regions and river basins. Therefore we must step up efforts to protect bio resources and build eco function zones.

The preparation of the two Plans manifests concrete actions to apply the national strategy of protecting eco environment. The plan for national protection of ecology and environment issued by the State Council in 2000 specified that eco function zones should be established to prevent destruction of environment and degradation of eco functions. In 2004, the General Office of the State Council released a circular on strengthening protection of biological resources and their management, calling on SEPA and related departments to draft a plan for protection and use of bio resources. In recent years, leaders of the CPC and the state have made many important instructions on strengthening conservation of biological resources and accelerating the building of protected areas of ecological functions. The need to prepare and implement the two plans was identified in the Eleventh National Five-Year Development Guidelines for Economic and Social Progress and Decision of the State Council on the Implementation of the Outlook on Scientific Development and Strengthening Environmental Protection. It is required that we should take the establishment of major ecological function zones as one of the important tasks to form development priority zones and a concrete measure to maintain steady eco functions of the zones, rational use of resources and strictly prevent the loss of species and resources. 

The two plans meet the objective need of managing eco system. Eco system management stresses a change from single element management to comprehensive management of multi elements and the whole system. It strengthens protection of structure and functions of eco system in a regional and river basin context and maintains the diversity and synergy of species and resources in the system. While preparing the two plans, related departments of the State Council have worked together through active engagement and information sharing to ensure the content of the plans fully embodies a systematic, integrated and comprehensive method for protecting and using bio resources and for building eco function zones. This represents a success in applying eco system management.

The efforts to prepare the plans are active moves to implement international conventions. Biodiversity covers the three tiers of eco system, species and genetic resources. Convention of Biodiversity aims to protect and use species and genetic resources in a sustainable way and safeguard the stability of eco system. In recent years eco system management and access and benefit sharing has come under the spotlight of CBD negotiations. The preparation and implementation of the two plans demonstrate China's solemn commitment and practical actions to better perform international obligations and achieve the objectives of global biodiversity.

The two plans have much practical significance on guiding the conservation and use of national species and resources, strengthening the development of protected areas of ecological functions. The plans proceed from our basic national conditions and set up the principle of scientific planning, priority of conservation, proper development and strict supervision, which are pertinent to the focus of conservation and use of bio resources and establishment of eco function zones and are linked to plans of related departments. In line with the national medium-and-long term strategy for development, the two plans are considered guiding documents first of its kind in the field of conservation of bio resources and building of eco function zones. It is essential to the development and pioneering of ecological conservation in the new phase of the new era. The application of the two plans will facilitate effective protection of China's rich species and resources as well as the key eco function zones, reduce loss of species and genetic resources, guarantee their sustainability and potential use and safeguard national ecological security so as to benefit our future generations. It also shows China's attitude of earnest implementation of international conventions and active engagement in international cooperation.

II. With distinct features and rich contents, the two plans identifies the major tasks in the near future

Plan for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Resources is jointly prepared by SEPA and 16 member ministries of the inter-ministry conference on biological resource conservation within two years. It was promulgated by SEPA as approved by the State Council in October 2007. The most distinct feature of the plan lies in comprehensive and detailed account with stressed key points. Comprehensive and detailed account refers to the plan's extensive coverage of industries and fields involved in biological resources, its specifics in relation to objectives and tasks and their feasibility. Key points are outstanding because the plan identifies the key areas and priority actions for conservation and use of biological resources, underlines the need to protect the habitat of biological resources from destruction, prevent loss of resources and strictly control the exit and drain of biological resources.

The plan sets out the strategic thought and tasks on the conservation and use of biological resources. First, the plan identifies five relevant principles: sovereignty of state, science oriented, priority of conservation, balance between protection and use and participation of different parties. The five principles bear significant meaning for China to take part in international negotiations, fight for national interest and better coordinate the relationship between protection and utilization. Second, the plan outlines the overall objective of the following 15 years and divides the implementation period into three phases with five-year interval. That is to say, by 2010 we should basically put the trend of dramatic decline of biological resources under control; by 2015 we will control the loss and reduction of bio resources and by 2020 the bio resources will be effectively protected. These objectives reflect the direction of the country's strategy of sustainable development and are attainable through efforts. Third, the plan identifies some tasks for the short term and middle to long term within 12 key areas according to the scope of biological resources and the need for protection. These areas include fauna, flora, microorganism, traditional knowledge and management of species entrance and exit, etc. The delegation of tasks in the 12 key areas provides a clear guidance for future planning of respective area. Fourth, the plan raises 10 priority actions and 55 projects for conservation and use of biological resources during the eleventh five-year plan period, which helps to solve the outstanding problems and clarify the input of financial resources. 

Plan for Key National Protected Areas of Ecological Functions defines the guidance, basic principle and main tasks for building protected areas of ecological functions. Protected areas of ecological functions are areas playing an important role in conserving water and soil, flood control, wind breaking, sand fixation and maintaining biodiversity. These areas cover certain space for the purpose of protection and development is restricted within them. The plan makes it clear that key protected areas of eco functions are subject to limited development. As for protected areas of eco functions, we must follow the principle of overall consideration by carrying out development step by step, paying high attention to program development, putting protection as priority, averting replication and seeking complementary advantages. In this case, we need to select the development direction carefully by bringing out superior industries, strengthening eco conservation and rehabilitation and supervision and recovering the region's eco functions.

The plan points out that work on protected areas of eco functions should focus on three aspects: first, to guide industrial development rationally. Boost the development of eco agriculture, forestry and tourism according to local conditions; develop industries that suit local areas; limit the development of high pollution and energy and material consumption industries; phase out industries that causes serious pollution, ecological degradation, waste of resource and energy in accordance with the law and shut down businesses that harm resources, environment and eco system according to law; promote biogas, wind energy, small hydropower, solar energy, geothermal energy and other clean energy. Solutions should be worked out to meet other rural needs of energy and minimize destruction of natural eco systems. Second, to protect and rehabilitate eco functions. We should handle problems in order of urgency and importance, put protection as priority and actively engage ourselves in control programs. We should suit our measures to different conditions and set up defenses according to hazards. More efforts are needed to strengthen protection and rehabilitation of eco system given ecological improvement programs completed or still in operation in a bid to enhance water and soil conservation, wind breaking and sand fixation, strengthen flood control and better regional environmental quality. Third, to reinforce environmental supervision. We will improve environmental law enforcement through improving laws and regulations and capacity building in supervision; advanced environmental monitoring, forecast and early warning will be achieved by making more efforts in monitoring and research. Promote environmental education and raise public awareness so that people will willingly safeguard ecological security in the region or river basin. 

III. Adopt effective measures and cooperate closely to promote the implementation of the two plans

The two plans work out specific responsibilities to protect biological resources and develop protected areas of eco functions, raise requirements and tasks and open a new stage for our work. We must grasp opportunities and make concerted efforts through close cooperation to ensure a good beginning of the implementation. 

First, we will give a tremendous buildup of the two plans through media. The role of broadcasting, television, newspaper and network should be given to full play so that the masses will get to know the objectives, tasks and requirements of the two plans through extensive and diversified promotions, enhance their understanding toward the importance of biological resource protection and development of protected areas of ecological functions and acquire a stronger sense of mission, responsibility and urgency. All social forces should be mobilized to participate in this work.

Second, we will strengthen cooperation among different departments to facilitate implementation of the two plans. The two plans are rich in content and call for close collaboration among departments during implementation. All departments, under the leadership of inter-ministry conference on biological resources, should make earnest efforts to work out specific plan on the conservation and use of biological resource in their own fields, implement tasks designated in the plan and carefully organize the implementing work.

Local governments at all levels should incorporate conservation and management of bio resources and establishing protected areas of eco functions into their agenda and make related plans in different levels at different stage. These plans are to be incorporated into local program for economic and social development. A group of demonstration zones and units will be promoted at different levels in different year. We need to be conscientious to implement the plan, find out the right path, accumulate experience and improve our capacity so that the tasks raised by the two plans are substantially performed.

Third, implement the key areas and priority projects of biological resource conservation. All departments and local governments should review the baseline of bio resources of important categories and of fragile regions by combing investigation of key links and general survey, establish an information sharing platform for the conservation and sustainable use of bio resources, set up a system to manage resource exit and entrance and improve related managerial systems, laws and regulations, policies and standards. We will do research on the establishment of access and benefit-sharing system in line with international convention negotiation, strengthen the building of protection facilities, particularly the planning and development of nature reserves. We will develop technologies for the sustainable use of bio resources, strengthen personnel training and advance R&D of bio resources and discovering superior genes, trying our best to achieve the set target of curbing the tendency of drastic reduction of biological resources by 2010.

Fourth, carry out development of protected areas of eco functions in an all-round way. Local departments at all levels should make a good job of preparing plans for the development of key national protected areas of eco functions as set out in the Eleventh National Five-Year Development Guidelines for Economic and Social Progress in line with the requirement of the Plan. Pilot work may be conducted in some key provincial protected areas according to local conditions. We need to make innovations on management system and mechanisms of protected areas and actively explore effective means to protect these areas. Research on related policies should be made to put in place an enduring-effect mechanism for the management of protected areas. We will develop some technical specifications to standardize the development of eco function zones. We will establish the first batch of national protected areas of eco functions in Gannan, Dongchuan and Dongjiangyuan as soon as possible.

Dear guests, ladies and gentlemen, friends,

To conserve biological resources and the key eco function zones is a concrete action to promote conservation culture. It is incumbent on all of us. This is a great cause contributing to contemporary times and bringing benefits for the future centuries. Let us joint hands to apply the spirit of the 17th National Congress of CPC through our efforts, compose a new chapter on harmony between man and nature and make contributions to the goal of building a socialist harmonious society and moderately prosperous society in an all-round way.

Thank you!