China has selected 49 candidate areas for building national parks, in order to better protect wildlife species and their habitats. China will have the world's largest national park system in terms of protected areas, if all 49 candidate parks are constructed.

The 49 candidate sites cover an area of around 1.1 million square kilometers. They include 44 land areas, three sea areas, and two land-sea areas.

China says it will have the world's largest national park system in terms of protected areas, if all 49 candidate parks are constructed.

More than 5,000 wild vertebrate species and 29,000 types of higher plants inhabit these parks, which are expected to incorporate over 80 percent of China's strictly protected fauna and flora, along with their habitats.

The parks will also bring many ecological corridors under protection, including key areas that wild birds, whales, dolphins and other animals migrate through.