China takes lead from U.S., expands national park system

The L.A. Times interviewed Guangyu Wang, the assistant dean at UBC’s Faculty of Forestry, for a story on the expansion of natural park areas in China.

Tourism has eclipsed conservation goals at some parks, which are a valuable source of income for local governments, the article reported.

“A lot of Chinese parks are not about preservation, they’re about moneymaking,” Wang said. “National parks in China are like theme parks.”