Preserving plant seeds and other genetic material warrants investment of hundreds of millions of dollars, as it provides a lifeline for the future, according to scientists.
China's flora occupies a unique place in global plant diversity as it consists of about 38,000 "higher plants" (those able to grow to a large size), Sun Weibang, director of the Kunming Botanical Garden in Yunnan province, said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called for closer international cooperation on preserving biodiversity and providing related support to developing countries.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that he expects to attend the second part of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in person.
China is accelerating the establishment of a system of protected areas that will eventually encompass all the areas of greatest importance to China's natural ecosystem.
