China Vows to Control Loss of Biodiversity

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, May 22, 2002

China Vows to Control Loss of Biodiversity

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China's environmental protection department on Tuesday voiced its concern that the country could become a laboratory for foreign companies' transgenic products due to a lack of legislation on the safe use of biotechnology.

A document released by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) said some foreign companies could take advantage of loopholes in Chinese law to bring transgenic products into the country, making it "a laboratory for transgenic products" and posing unknown health risks for Chinese.

Meanwhile, in the pursuit of economic interests some people in China were blindly developing transgenic technology, without considering possible risks to the environment and human health over a long period, the SEPA document said.

Due to the lack of legislation on the acquisition, sharing of interests in and patents for genetic resources, some of which may hold the key to a cure for disease or improving grain harvests, many foreign companies had been unable to legally obtain resources in China, while some had spirited the resources overseas, the SEPA document said.

China needed laws to ensure the safe use of biological technology, and to protect its diversified genetic resources from abuse or theft by other countries, said SEPA official Wang Dehui.

Regulation on biological safety under draft

The administration was now working with the Science and Technology Ministry on the draft of a regulation on biological safety, which was likely to become law in the future, Wang said.

China still lacked a nationwide law on the integrated management of research, trials, production and cross-border transfers of living modified organisms (LMOs), he said, stressing that existing regulations made specific requirements but were far from being unified for better efficiency.

Preparing legislation to protect genetic resources and prevent the introduction of alien invasive species which could destroy China's ecosystem, was also underway, he said.

Wang said his administration has adopted "effective'' measures to prevent and control the invasion of alien species.

"First, we are strengthening the drafting of laws and regulations in this regard,'' Wang told a press conference held by his administration to mark International Biodiversity Day, which falls on Wednesday.

Wang said joint effort has been undertaken with other authorities, including the General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the State Forestry Administration, the Ministry of Agriculture and the General Administration of Customs.

Alien Invasive species endanger China's biodiversity

Wang said alien invasive species had become one of the major factors endangering China's biodiversity and biological environment.

Annual economic losses caused by invasive species -- including ragweed, Mikania micrantha and hyacinth -- reached 57.4 billion yuan (US$6.9 billion), according to Wang's administration. They are a problem because many of them destroy native species.

It is reported that similar annual economic losses have reached US$150 billion in the United States, US$130 billion in India and US$80 billion in South Africa.

Research has been put at the top of the agenda to strengthen the country's supervision and management capacity in tackling alien invasive species, said Wang.

Entry-exit inspection and quarantine sources said these organizations should do more to prevent the invasion of alien species.

China's present quarantine system, according to the sources, prevents certain kinds of species entering the country but gives no consideration to other alien species that would endanger the environment.

Efforts in protecting biological diversity

According to the State Environmental Protection Administration, China has accomplished a lot in protecting its biological diversity since it approved the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in November 1992.

China has established close and regular contact with international and governmental environmental organizations, Wang said.

"Such contacts, co-operation and aid will help us protect our environment,'' said Wang, who also acts as director of the Chinese Office for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Statistics from Wang's administration indicate that the Global Environment Fund -- an international fund-management partnership based in Washington DC -- has already donated over US$23 million to help China protect its biodiversity. The World Bank has provided a total of US$260 million in loans for this endeavour.

Many projects sponsored by the above-mentioned organizations and by foreign counties have improved the public awareness of environmental protection in China, Wang said.

By the end of last year, China had set up 1,551 nature reserves nationwide, which occupied 12.9 per cent of the country's landmass.

"The rate is above the average level among the countries of the world,'' said Wang.

The reserves have formed a rationally located network capable of protecting most of the rare plants and animals there.

According to the State Environmental Protection Administration, the network has effectively protected 70 per cent of China's terrestrial ecosystem, 80 per cent of its wild animals and 60 per cent of its rare plants.

But Wang admitted that China's ecological environment is still becoming worse because of global warming, natural disasters and excessive human activity.

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