The Project Objective is “to establish an effective National Park (NP) System through protected area reform and institutional innovation, increasing coverage of protected areas and improving effectiveness of Protected Area (PA) management for conservation of globally significant biodiversity”. The strategy in achieving this objective is broken down into three components: Component 1: National Park System Establishment; Component 2: Provincial level National Park System Strengthening; Component 3: Program Coordination and Knowledge Management. Component 1 focuses on strengthening the enabling environment required for establishment of a National Park (NP) system, the cornerstone of the ongoing PA reforms in China. Component 2 focuses on provincial level national park system strengthening, systematically applying results of Component 1 at the provincial and local level. Component 3 focuses on C-PAR program coordination and knowledge management enhancement for the C-PAR program and beyond the program in support of the new NP system, along with supporting improved understanding among decision makers and the public on the value of the national PA system.The Project Strategy is focused on consolidating the currently fragmented arrangements of the national PA system, through applying uniform methods for planning and managing protected areas that are based on sound scientific principles and value-based allocation of financial resources. This approach is directly aligned to the current PA reforms in China. With a strong emphasis on diversification and increase in PA financing, the project is designed to impart long-lasting contributions towards sound and participatory management of the national PA system. Moreover, increasing coverage of globally significant biodiversity by more than 1 million ha enhances the management effectiveness of the PA system and promotes more efficient allocation of conservation funding. Mainstreaming the NP legal framework into broader development priorities, including the 14th five-year plan and the ecological conservation redline process, will strengthen decision-making frameworks associated with conservation and resource use.