How institutional innovation is shaping China's 'Beautiful China' vision

China's ecological governance is entering a more law-based and institutionalized phase, with a new environmental code, national park construction, central ecological inspections and long-term river restoration policies forming the backbone of the country's "Beautiful China" agenda.

One of the most important steps is the country's step to codify its ecological governance framework. In March 2026, China's national legislature adopted the country's first Ecological and Environmental Code, integrating pollution control, ecological conservation, climate governance and green transition policies into a unified legal framework. The code, which will take effect in August 2026, is widely seen as a milestone in the country's environmental legislation process. 

According to official explanations and legal analyses, the new code incorporates rules on carbon emissions management, climate adaptation, green and low-carbon transition, biodiversity conservation and environmental accountability. It also elevates several existing climate and ecological governance mechanisms into statutory law, including carbon accounting and emissions trading systems. 

National park construction has also become a key part of China's ecological governance reforms. The country has completed property rights registration for its first five national parks that includes the Sanjiangyuan National Park, the Giant Panda National Park, the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park and the Wuyishan National Park

These five parks, established in 2021 as China's first batch of national parks, span a protected land area of 230,000 square km and are home to nearly 30% of the country's key terrestrial wildlife species.

Another major institutional tool is the central ecological and environmental inspection system. The latest round shows how inspections have become embedded in environmental governance. On May 7, 2026, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced the launch of the sixth batch of the third round of central ecological and environmental inspections. 

These inspections are designed to push local governments and enterprises to address ecological and environmental problems through supervision, rectification and accountability. Recent inspection work has focused on issues including river basin protection, industrial pollution control, ecological restoration and the implementation of major national strategies such as Yangtze River and Yellow River protection.

The Yangtze River's 10-year fishing ban is one of the clearest examples of turning policy design into ecological restoration. China first imposed a fishing ban in 332 conservation areas of the Yangtze River basin in January 2020. The policy was later expanded into a 10-year moratorium covering the river’s main streams and major tributaries from January 1, 2021.

The ban was introduced to restore biodiversity and reverse ecological degradation in Asia's longest river system. It also involved livelihood support for affected fishing communities: official reports said the policy affected more than 110,000 fishing boats and nearly 280,000 fishermen across 10 provincial regions, with measures including social security support, financial assistance and vocational training.

Taken together, these measures show how China is trying to translate ecological civilization from a concept into a governance system. The process is built not only on environmental targets, but also on lawmaking, inspections, monitoring, protected areas, industrial policy and local implementation – the institutional tools officials say are needed to advance the long-term goal of building a "Beautiful China."