China must revise its regulation for managing non-native invasive species

Jingrui Sun, Phillip Joschka Haubrock, Ali Serhan Tarkan, Erik Jeppesen, Hugh MacIsaac, Shams M. Galib, Julian Olden

Biological invasions are a leading contributor to the global biodiversity crisis, yet existing regulatory frameworks are challenged by definitions of ‘non-native’ species that are based on geopolitical rather than ecological boundaries. This perspective highlights the critical disconnect between administrative jurisdictions and biogeographic units, with focus on China’s biosecurity laws. These laws, centered on national borders, render the country vulnerable to ‘domestic’ invasions, some of which may have pronounced ecological or economic consequences. We posit that China should recalibrate its legal definition of invasive species and a shift from a ‘territory-based’ to an ‘ecosystem-based’ model, under which human-mediated intra-country translocations of species across ecosystems or other biogeographical units are redefined as non-native introductions rather than treated as movements of nationally native species. Then, we link this revised legal definition to risk assessment, inter-ecosystem infrastructure management, and stricter regulation of intra-country species translocations, to better safeguard ecosystem integrity.