Tourism eco-certification programs distinguish competing products on environmental grounds (Font, Sanabria and E. Skinner 2003). China has a growing nature and adventure tourism industry (CNTA 2006), and eco-certification is hence a potentially important environmental management tool (Han and Zhuge 2001; Zhuge 2006). Two international schemes have tried to gain acceptance in China, but with little success. On other continents, hundreds of ecotourism products are certified (Ecotourism Australia 2006; Gossling 2006); but in five years, Green Globe 21 (2006) has certified only two hotels, two parks, and one museum in China, and Ecotourism Australia one park (Doole 2005; Zhong, Shidong and Xiang 2003, 2005). Therefore, here, nationally focused Chinese government publications, language research literature, and stakeholder interviews are used to examine progress in internal and international eco-certification, from a national perspective. To map official progress, in 2002, a forum recommended codes of conduct and certification systems (China Ecotourism Forum 2003). In 2003, the China National Institute for Standardization hosted an expert meeting on ecotourism certification. In 2005, government tourism and environment agencies endorsed work on ecotourism standards, environmental quality indicators in destinations, and certification of environmental management systems in enterprises (CNTA+SEPA 2005).