In late 2011, the three CSPC focal agencies (Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Forestry Administration, Ministry of Environmental Protection) agreed to carry out a review of China’s Strategy for Plant Conservation in collaboration with BGCI.

With financial support provided by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the aim of this initiative was to establish progress made in the implementation of CSPC, identify challenges and gaps, and provide suggestions for the way ahead.

Focussing on the implementation of CSPC Targets pertaining directly to in and ex situ conservation (Targets 7 and 8), this analysis also considers progress made in interrelated CSPC objectives including Targets 1, 2, 14, 15 and 16.

Tremendous and commendable efforts to safeguard the country’s extraordinarily rich and diverse botanical wealth have been undertaken by numerous CSPC stakeholders These include an enhanced network of sites and people dedicated to in situ and ex situ conservation and a multi-volume Chinese flora nearing completion, giving evidence of both China’s plant diversity and botanical expertise, and many other projects and programmes to strengthen conservation capacity, education and public outreach.

However, as elsewhere in the world, enormous conservation challenges continue to constrain progress in securing China’s natural heritage for future generations. To further address these, CSPC stakeholders are faced with a multitude of complex and intricate conservation conundra. These have been highlighted in this analysis as related to integrated conservation at species and ecosystems, and people and policy levels; enhancing the conservation value of ex situ collections for species recovery and restoration; advancing interdisciplinary capacity for wider public outreach; and strengthening China’s visibility as a major global conservation actor.

The analysis offers a number of recommendations on how to address these challenges further relating to the following issues:

• Strengthen the linkages between in and ex situ conservation at species and ecosystems, as well as stakeholder and policy levels.
• Improve national coordination of ex situ collection policies and curatorial efforts to secure conservation and research value.
• Enhance partnerships between scientists, conservationists and education specialists to promote a new generation of amateur botanists and naturalists.
• Ensure close linkages of CSPC stakeholders with policy and decision makers who influence and negotiate national and global conservation and development objectives.