HARBIN, May 25 -- China has set up more than 900 wetland reserves and 23.4 million hectares of wetlands are protected, an official said on Monday.

China has 53.6 million hectares of wetlands, accounting for 5.58 percent of the country's land territory.

"A wetland is a separate ecosystem, which is very precious and important," said Chen Fengxue, deputy director of the State Forestry Administration, adding that nearly half of the country's total wetlands are protected.

"We will step up our protection work to prevent shrinkage or degradation of the wetlands," he said.