The State Council approved a proposal by the Ministry of Natural Resources to establish a national park for pandas, according to a circular 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 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.

The State Council asked Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces to improve organization and cooperation to step up recovery of wild pandas and their habitats, and formulate a general plan for the national park.