Summary
China and its Asia-Pacific partners are jointly protecting migratory bird flyways, according to a Xinhua special report published on August 14. Four of the world's nine major flyways pass through China. The country has established the International Mangrove Centre in Shenzhen, adjacent to the Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve, a key staging post on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
Hong Kong's Mai Po Wetland has a long-standing cooperation with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, training professionals from many countries. Fernandez, head of the Sibugay Wetland Reserve in the Philippines, praised Mai Po's refined ecological management. China's wetland area ranks first in Asia and fourth globally; in 2024, the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf (Phase II) were inscribed on the World Heritage List.
China has also signed bilateral migratory bird protection agreements with Australia, South Korea, Russia, New Zealand and other nations. Mongolian expert Batbayar said China has become an excellent example in the region.
Commentary
Among the world's nine major flyways, the East Asian-Australasian Flyway connects New Zealand's Miranda and China's Dandong. The bar-tailed godwit migrates roughly 11,000 kilometres across the ocean each year, underscoring that NZ-China ecological cooperation is more than diplomatic rhetoric. For New Zealand's small and medium business owners, China's expanding investment in wetland restoration and the successful World Heritage listing of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf sites will drive demand for ecological monitoring, wetland planning and bird banding services.
New Zealand's established expertise in mudflat management and birdwatching tourism could be packaged for export. Additionally, as China tightens green consumption and ESG scrutiny, food and tourism companies that proactively align with migratory bird protection narratives may lower export compliance costs and boost brand differentiation. Mai Po's training has already reached the Philippines and other countries.
New Zealand ecological consultancies should pursue entry into training supply chains and standard-setting processes, avoiding being confined to raw material trade.
Keywords: migratory bird protection, flyways, wetland conservation, International Mangrove Centre, East Asian-Australasian Flyway, transnational cooperation, biodiversity, Mai Po Wetland
Source: Xinhua Net
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