China has entered akey period of making major break throughs in terms of wetland conservation.On November 30, 2016, the General Office of the State Council issued the “Program for Wetland Protection and Restoration System” (State Council [2016] No.89). It was the second document of its kind following 2004 when the State Council issued the Circularon Enhancing Wetland Conservation and Management. This indicated that wetland conservation efforts in China have transformed from “Rescue-based conservation” to a new stage of “Comprehensive conservation”, placing greater demands on wetland conservation across the country.

GEF China Wetland PA System Programme, in which Wetland Conservation and Management Center of State Forestry Administration (SFA)isthe leading implementing agency, is designed to introduce new concepts, mechanisms, technologies and bestpractices on wetland protection and restoration. The programme consists of a centralproject and six provincial projects, i.e., Daxing’anling, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hainan and Xinjiang. A large number of experimental and demonstration activitie shave been carried out at the national, provincial and demonstration site levels to advance the main streaming of wetland conservation, promote technologies related to wetland protection and restoration, and facilitate wetland biodiversity survey and monitoring, sustainable use and community participation. These activities have greatly improved the management effectiveness and sustainability of wetland protected area system in China, and contributed to the better conservation of China’s wetland biodiversity of global importance.