The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) released an updated national species database, the Catalogue of Life China 2023 Annual Checklist, on Monday, International Day for Biological Diversity. The list recorded 148,674 species and sub-species, marking an increase of 10,381 compared to the 2022 edition. Such checklists are primary data reflecting the richness of biodiversity resources in a country or region, said Ma Keping, deputy director of the CAS Biodiversity Committee. China's list aims to provide an overview of biodiversity in the country and promote biodiversity research and protection. The checklist compilation commenced in 2008, and China is the only nation to release an annual inventory of its biological species.