China to improve national wildlife protection

The administration said the country has built 200 botanical gardens to preserve more than 20,000 species of plants, accounting for about 66 percent of the country's flora.

So far, 206 species of rare and endangered plants have returned to the wild, of which 112 are unique to China.

The administration plans to enhance the protection of wild animals－including giant pandas, Siberian tigers, Asian elephants, pangolins, gibbons and snow leopards, and plants including cycads and orchids.

Meanwhile, the crackdown on illegal trading in wildlife－including a complete ban on trading in ivory, rhinoceros and tiger bones－has been enhanced by improved enforcement.