The Protected Areas (PA) system serves to support healthy ecosystems and threatened species, biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as providing multiple benefits to people. The ecological doctrine ofRussiaconsiders the development of a system of specially protected natural areas (SPNA) to be one of the key directions of state policy. In the history of this country, the creation of SPNA is a traditional and effective step, but currently, state environmental policy is very different from that of the policy of the past, as dictated by theUSSR. Today’s global events, such as the economic collapse resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic, have changed social life dramatically. However, for bothRussiaandChina, there is a clear interest in not repeating Western national park commercialization, as seen in theUSand European countries. The authors consider the idea of adding a new wilderness protected area category, because in reality, it is a very effective form of environmental conservation, especially in «Eastern»Russia. It is discussed that the terrestrial protected area system is not ecologically representative at present, although most countries have reported considerable success in this field.Chinahas declared and is promoting the construction of a community with a «shared future for humanity». The focus of this paper is onChina’s Belt and Road Initiative, as it aims for the functional creation of a new model of international economic cooperation that must include a new and close look at nature conservation.