The State Council has approved a plan to set up a national park for tropical rainforests in South China’s Hainan province, according to a document released on Oct 14.

During construction of the park, related departments should uphold the philosophy that clear waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and adopt a holistic approach to conserve mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts, the circular said.

As a national park, it should put ecological protection as a top priority, represent the country and benefit the people. The originality and completeness of the whole ecosystem should be enhanced, and proper measures should be carried out to balance ecological protection and people’s work and lives.

It stressed Hainan government should strengthen the protection and restoration of the island tropical rainforest ecosystem, and promote construction of the national park in an active, steady and orderly manner while formulating a general outline for the park.

Relevant departments of the State Council should step up support for the tropical rainforest national park and provide more guidance in planning, policy formulation, fund investments and project arrangement.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration should strengthen supervision and guidance, improve working mechanisms, and help resolve difficulties during the construction.