Authorities in Hong Kong and Shenzhen are planning to apply for the establishment of a joint national-level botanical garden, as the two cities step up ecological cooperation across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The agreement was signed during a ceremony on Monday by various departments responsible for urban planning, conservation, and leisure and cultural services on both sides. The event was attended by Hong Kong Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan, Shenzhen Vice-Mayor Dai Jintao, and Liang Xiaodong, deputy director of the Forestry Administration of Guangdong province.

China’s first national-level botanical garden was inaugurated in Beijing in April 2022. Currently, the country has two such institutions — one in Beijing and another in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. Under a national layout framework released in 2023, China aims to establish about 10 national botanical gardens and create a comprehensive conservation network by 2035.

National-level botanical gardens are expected to play a key role in conserving plant diversity, conducting scientific research, and promoting public education, focusing on protecting rare species and fostering sustainable ecological development.

Under the latest agreement, Hong Kong and Shenzhen pledged to deepen collaboration in collecting and protecting plant diversity, building and conserving ecological corridors, and enhancing synergy and capability in scientific research, science promotion and education, as well as horticultural exhibitions.

The two sides will jointly conduct regional plant resource systematic surveys, establish an integrated conservation system for rare and endangered wild plants, and advance regional native vegetation restoration and ecosystem remediation.

Additionally, Hong Kong and Shenzhen will launch in-depth collaborative projects in plant taxonomy, nature conservation and ecological restoration, while promoting talent exchanges and strengthening nature education among residents.

Tse also attended the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministerial Meeting on Forestry in Shenzhen on Tuesday, where representatives from APEC economies discussed topics such as forest conservation and sustainable management, the balance between ecological protection and livelihood, and technological innovation.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com