Current Situation and Future of Legislation on Precaution of Alien Species Invasion in China

China has focused on the issue of invasive alien species as early as 1982 in the Regulations on Import and Export Animal and Plant Quarantine, which were followed by the Entry-Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine Law, Marine Environmental Protection Law, Grassland Law and Seed Law. The Biosecurity Law (2020) and the Management Measures for Alien Invasive Species (2022) further refine the institutional context of the prevention and control of invasive alien species. However, there are still deficiencies in existing legislation and systems. It is necessary for China to establish higher-level laws on the prevention and control of invasive alien species at the national level; strengthen the early warning system and process tracking system, etc.; and establish cross-departmental and cross-regional coordination mechanisms at the national and local levels. China needs to enhance the awareness and capabilities of various stakeholders while fulfilling the requirements of the global biodiversity framework and continue to play the role of active participants and emerging leaders.