Introduced at the first East-West Philanthropists Summit in 2014, Hank Paulson and Cao Dewang engaged the Paulson Institute and Heren Foundation in a partnership to explore the optimum model for a national park system which would fit the Chinese context while meeting international standards. The Paulson Institute signed a collaborative agreement with the NDRC and Heren Foundation. They have conducted in-depth international case studies in seven countries, organized capacity building activities for officials and park managers, developed technical guidelines for the pilot projects, and supported research and planning work in the area around Mount Wuyi (Wuyi Shan) in Fujian Province. The Heren Foundation is providing general financial support for the program.
Initiated a China-US National Parks Collaboration