China, New Zealand collaborate to protect migrating seabirds

Cooperation between China and New Zealand has extended beyond trade and into nature conservation, as China’s World Heritage wetlands on the Yellow Sea play a crucial role as a “refueling” stop for migrating seabirds on their journey from New Zealand to Siberia and Alaska.

In the North Island of New Zealand, the Miranda foreshore has been a paradise for both birdwatchers and migrating shorebirds, as these birds will rest over southern-hemisphere summer after an exhausting 12,000-kilometer non-stop flight from breeding grounds in Siberia and Alaska.

However, their numbers are declining by around 5 percent each year, causing deep concern among conservationists.

“Sixty years we’ve been counting the numbers of shorebirds, and you can’t do conservation unless you’re collecting that data and proving that there’s something wrong here,” said Chelsea Ralls, a tour guide of the Miranda Shorebird Center.

Up to 90,000 godwits make the annual migration from Alaska to New Zealand. On the way back next March, they will stop to refuel at China’s wetland of the Yalu River on the Yellow Sea.

“So, these birds are American birds because they breed in Alaska. They take their holidays in New Zealand, and to get back to Alaska they need China,” said Adrian Riegen, an ornithologist with the Miranda Shorebird Center.

It is hoped that China’s move to obtain UNESCO World Heritage status in 2024 when the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China were inscribed on the World Heritage List through Phase I (2019) and Phase II (2024) will help protect these long-distance travelers.

“It may be possible from initiatives like this to actually arrest the decline of these shorebird populations, and maybe start increasing them again, which would just be fantastic,” said Keith Woodley, manager of the Miranda Shorebird Center.

Also making the long journey from Alaska is a U.S. wildlife expert who praised China’s commitment to protecting wetlands at a time when the Trump administration has reduced conservation funding.

“China has recognized, really, the global responsibility that they share in recognizing those sites. I see that as a really important step,” said Dan Ruthrauff, a U.S. wildlife biologist.

The migrating birds have also inspired closer cooperation between China and New Zealand. As the wetlands in China and New Zealand play an important role, birdwatchers from both countries have established long-term relationships to gather and share information about birds that can live for close to 30 years.

Riegen is one of those dedicated birdwatchers, having first visited China’s wetlands 25 years ago. Up to now, he has helped to tag and track around 1,300 birds.

“If we can, as humans, can all work to help them get through their journey, then it’s great,” he said.

The mutual desire extends to a formal Government-to-Government Memorandum of Agreement that was first signed in 2016 and renewed last year to share information and protect wetlands and birds.

“This relationship is a perfect example of how we can work together and to benefit these extraordinary birds,” said Woodley.

Climate change and rising sea levels present new challenges, but wildlife watchers hope that the amazing journey of the godwits will inspire future generations for years to come.

“It’s about collaboration, we can do all we want here, but we all have to work together to make sure that they can keep coming back,” said Ralls.

International observers and commentators have expressed hope that the high-quality development anticipated under China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) will inject greater stability and positive energy into the world, while offering new references for other countries exploring their own development paths.

Many pundits are following the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, during which the next Five-Year Plan will be agreed.

“So I was so really pleased to see the plans that are going into the 15th Five-Year Plan that will start in 2026, because this plan speaks about zero waste, because this plan speaks about circularity. So I think that this is a very exciting new chapter that China is opening as well,” said Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program.

“It evolves with the times. The state does so, so that its citizens can live a better, happier and prosperous life. Many of the economic thinkers in the West and in the United States understood the value and the need for this sort of planning. China has substantially mastered that art and I think part of it is being pragmatic as one develops from a national and economic standpoint,” said Sourabh Gupta, senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies.

“China has emerged as a global leader in multiple fields through high-quality development, spearheaded by its significant innovations in scientific research. Not only is China an essential partner for cooperation with various economies worldwide, but it is also the preferred trading partner for most countries. China stands as an indispensable and stabilizing pillar in the global trade landscape,” said Maroun Kairouz, head of the Middle and North Africa for the World Economic Forum.

Alfred Schipke, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, outlined his expectations for the new plan.

“Of course, we have very high expectations. We think it is an opportunity to advance what China ultimately wants to do over the next couple of years. I’m sure there will be a lot on high-quality growth. There will also be emphasis on continued supply-side reform, but we also hope that there will be more emphasis on strengthening the consumption side, improving the livelihood of people, and to further open up the economy, I think in particular the service sector will probably be mentioned,” he said.

An article in Pakistan Today said that China’s new Five-Year Plan will drive domestic growth and set the course for global development. With strategic resolve and forward-looking vision, China is advancing its modernization, which will inject much-needed stability and positive energy into global development, the editorial said.

The German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee will set the strategic direction for China’s development in the years ahead. The country is shifting its focus towards scientific and technological innovation, with the 15th Five-Year Plan set to open a new chapter in its development strategy.

U.S.-based cable channel CNBC reported that the fourth plenary session will outline China’s economic priorities for the next five years, offering insight into how the country is shaping its global trade and economic strategy for the 2026-2030 period.