A partitioning approach for regional sustainability based on economic development indicators and ecological values for China

•We established a partitioning indicator system of China considering 19 indicators and then constructed the ecological value and development value layers.•China is classified into four types of functional areas, which are defined as key protected area, development area, low-tension area and conflict area.•Key protected areas coincide with ecological security barrier and mainly distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the existing nature reserves can protect most of the high-value regions of protected areas.•Most of the land in southeast China are zoned as conflict areas.