IUCN has a long history of involvement in China, with pioneering work carried out through IUCN Headquarters and the IUCN Commissions in the early 1980s. In recent years, IUCN has been involved in a range of conservation work in China, including species assessments, protected area management and World Heritage, environmental law and environmental economics.
IUCN has 11 members in China, including three in Hong Kong. In 1996, China became a State member of IUCN, represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2000, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by IUCN and the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) to carry out a cooperation programme from 2001 to 2004.
The IUCN China Liaison Office was established in January 2003, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the State Forestry Administration (SFA) of China in 2004, and a formal agreement between IUCN and the People’s Republic of China is being pursued.
IUCN has also been an active member of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) since its inception, and IUCN experts have participated in a number of its Task Forces.
IUCN supports its members and partners in China by providing information, strengthening capacity and demonstrating innovative approaches on the ground. Drawing on its global resources, IUCN facilitates international exchange by bringing international technical expertise to China and taking Chinese expertise abroad.
