China is listed as one of the worldÔÇÖs 17 megadiverse countries, with 60% of all species occurring in just 1.5% of the worldÔÇÖs land area. China is home to some 10% of all plant species and 14 per cent of the EarthÔÇÖs faunal assemblage. China has 34,984 known species of higher plants of which 50% are endemic species, ranking the third in the world, 6,445 vertebrate animal species, accounting for 13.7% of the worldÔÇÖs total and more than 10,000 fungi species, making up 14% of the global total. Some 11,000 species of plants and 2,800 species of fauna found in China have identified medicinal properties. China boasts a long agricultural history that spans a period of over 5,000 years. During the agricultural system development process, rich genetic diversity emerged through natural selection and artificial selection. At present, China preserves more than 400,000 varieties of crops and 576 identified breeds of livestock and poultry. China is one of the eight global centres of origin for crops, and harbours important agricultural crops such as rice and soybean, as well as serving as a key centre of origin of wild and cultivated fruit trees. Over 1,339 species of cultivated crops and 1,930 species of wild relatives occur in China, and the number of fruit tree species ranks top in the world. China is also a country with multiple ethnic minorities. The distribution of ethnic groups in varied geographic areas enables people to create diverse yet unique traditional knowledge in the process of conserving and sustainably using biodiversity. Such traditional knowledge includes: (i) biological resources of crops, livestock, poultry and fish breeds with unique characters; (ii) traditional medicine, processing techniques, prescriptions and therapies; (iii) traditional farming methods and production models that facilitate comprehensive and recycled utilization of biological resources; (iv) traditional culture, folklore and protocols in favour of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use; and (v) traditional biological products with geographic indications that promote local economic development.