China announced a plan on Thursday to establish five national botanical gardens by 2025 as part of the country's drive to construct a national botanical garden system for greater plant-diversity protection.

The proposed gardens will ex-situ conserve more than 70 percent of the country's key state-protected wild plants and more than 55 percent of rare and endangered wild plants by 2025, according to a plan by National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

Another five will be added between 2025 and 2035, according to the plan. They are projected to offer ex-situ conservation for more than 80 percent of the country's main state-protected wild species and 70 percent of rare and endangered wild plants, thereby creating a national botanical garden system.

There are presently two national botanical gardens in China, one in Beijing and the other in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province.

China is among the top five countries in terms of plant diversity, home to about 38,000 different varieties of higher plants. According to the administration, it currently boasts nearly 200 botanical gardens where 60 percent of the country's native plant types are under ex-situ conservation.

(With input from Xinhua)

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