The China Wildlife Conservation Association has agreed with France's Beauval Zoo to send a new pair of giant pandas in 2027 to boost Sino-French ties. The previous pair, Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, recently returned to China after 13 years. France's first lady Brigitte Macron visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding on Friday.
On Thursday, the China Wildlife Conservation Association announced an agreement with France's Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan to extend their cooperation on giant panda conservation, aiming to boost Sino-French exchanges. According to the association's statement, two new giant pandas are expected to arrive at the zoo in 2027 for a 10-year cooperation period.
In 2012, the Beauval Zoo welcomed Huan Huan and Yuan Zi under a Sino-French cooperative research agreement. The two 17-year-old pandas were returned to China last month due to Huan Huan's chronic kidney disease, a common condition in bears of that age. The twins of Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, Huan Lili and Yuan Dudu, remain in France, and the new agreement will take effect after the current cooperation cycle ends.
Both sides have agreed to maintain close communication and, following international panda conservation standards, work toward an early formal signing of a renewed agreement. The partnership seeks to deepen China-France collaboration on giant pandas, advance scientific research, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges.
On Friday, France's first lady Brigitte Macron visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding after touring the ancient Dujiangyan irrigation system. This visit occurred during French President Emmanuel Macron's trip to China, highlighting efforts by both leaders to enhance bilateral relations.