Dramatic global changes to the environment have wrought unprecedented reductions in biodiversity, with >28% species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) under the threat of extinction [ 1]. China, as one of the world's megadiverse countries, plays a critical role in global biodiversity conservation. The upcoming 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) for Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) serves as an opportunity for China to make ambitious but pragmatic commitments to elevate its wildlife conservation and management activities. The development of an ‘Ecological Civilization’, which endorses the ancient Taoist idea of Unity of Nature and Man (UNM) to achieve harmony between human beings and nature, has greatly facilitated the mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation in China [ 2]. Experiences from China will shed light on wildlife conservation worldwide.

Some conservation prioritization methods assume that conservation needs overwhelm current resources and not all species can be conserved; therefore, a “conservation triage” scheme (that is, when the system is overwhelmed, species should be divided into three groups based on likelihood of survival, and efforts should be focused on those species in the group with the best survival prospects and reduced or denied to those in the group with no survival prospects and to those in the group not needing special efforts for their conservation) is necessary to guide resource allocation. We argue that this decision‐making strategy is not appropriate because resources are not as limited as often assumed, and it is not evident that there are species that cannot be recovered. Small population size alone, as an example, does not doom a species to extinction, with examples from plants, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Although resources dedicated to conserving all threatened species are insufficient at present, the world's economic resources are vast, and greater resources could be dedicated towards species conservation. The political framework for species conservation has improved, with initiatives such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other international agreements, funding mechanisms such as The Global Environment Facility, and the rise of many non‐governmental organizations with nimble, rapid response small grants programs. For a prioritization system to allow no extinctions, zero extinctions must be an explicit goal of the system. Extinction is not inevitable, and should not be acceptable. A goal of no human‐induced extinctions is imperative given the irreversibility of species loss. Article impact statement: Conservation triage is not necessary for species conservation. Adequate resources exist; even species with small populations can recover. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved