Environmental Effectiveness of the National Action Plan to Contain Antimicrobial Resistance: Evidence from Chinese Soil

Abstract Soil antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) represent an emerging planetary health threat. However, the environmental impacts of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) control policies remain unclear. Based on 2,243 Chinese metagenomes, we generated a 14–year (2009–2022) spatiotemporal profile of Chinese soil ARGs and developed an open–access platform based on the interactive map. Relative to pre-2015 samples, the relative abundance of total ARGs (52.6%) and Rank I ARGs (77.0%) in croplands decreased markedly after 2016, coinciding with the national AMR control policy period (2016–2020). Comparing soil resistomes globally (2,556 metagenomes) revealed homogenization in croplands, reflecting convergent ARGs profiles under similar agricultural pressures across regions. This underscores the need for a shift from national to global intervention. Our findings highlight the importance of coordinated strategies combining chemical pollution control with agricultural best practices to curb ARGs dissemination under the One-Health framework.