These Regulations cover all activities concerning the protection, development and utilization of wild plants with a view to ensure the protection, development and rational utilization of wild plant resources, of biodiversity and ecological balances. Wild plants protected under these Regulations refer to plants "growing in natural conditions, which are specious or which are rare or near extinction and of important economic, scientific or cultural value" (art. 2, para. 2).
The Regulations consist of the following Chapters: General Provisions (I); Protection Of Wild Plants (II); Administration of Wild Plants (III); Legal Responsibility (IV); Supplementary Provisions (V).
Wild plants shall be classified into two categories: (a) wild plants under special protection by state and (b) wild plants under special protection by localities. Wild plants under special state protection shall be classified into two classes: (1) first class state protection and (2) second class state protection. Lists of wild plants under special state protection shall be drawn up by the department of forestry administration and the department of agriculture administration under the State Council, in consultation with other relevant departments under the State Council.
Wild plants under special local protection refer to wild plants other than those under special state protection but under the protection by provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government. Lists of wild plants under special local protection shall be drawn up by the governments of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the central government and shall be submitted to the State Council for the record. The department of wild plants administration and other relevant departments shall take measures to maintain and improve the environment for the survival of wild plants under special protection, and shall regularly carry out surveys of resources of wild plants under special state and local protection and keep records of them.
The collecting of wild plants under first class state protection shall be prohibited, unless necessary for some special purposes such as scientific research, cultivation or cultural exchanges. For collecting wild plants under second class state protection, the unit concerned shall apply for a collecting permit to the competent departments of wild plants administration. The sale or purchase of wild plants under first class state protection is prohibited, whereas the sale or purchase of wild plants under second class state protection shall be authorized by the department of wild plants administration. The export of wild plants under special state protection and the import or export of wild plants whose import or export is restricted by international conventions to which China is a party, must be verified by the local department of wild plants administration, and then be submitted to the department of wild plants administration under the State Council for approval, and an import or export permit or label must be obtained from the state administrative organ in charge of the import and export of the species which are near extinction. Foreigners who intend to make surveys of wild plants under special state protection in the field must submit an application to the department of wild plants administration for approval.
Measures for the administration of wild plants under special local protection shall be formulated by respective local government of province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the central government.