This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Xin Bao at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. Photo: Xinhua

A new round of China-Austria and China-US giant panda conservation cooperation will contribute to the health and well-being of giant pandas, the capacity for protecting giant pandas and other endangered species, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a routine press conference on Thursday, following China's continued achievements in the issue.  

China's new round of cooperation with the San Diego Zoo in the US also kicked off officially with a giant panda pair Yun Chuan and Xin Bao departing late Wednesday from the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas in Southwest China's Sichuan Province bound for the San Diego Zoo, where they will begin a 10-year residency, the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) announced the same day. 

The CWCA also announced that they had reached agreements on a new round of cooperation with the Schönbrunn Zoo in Austria. A pair of giant pandas will be sent to Austria for a 10-year conservation partnership per the agreement. 

Schönbrunn Zoo in Austria and San Diego Zoo in the US are both famous zoos in the world. Our giant panda conservation cooperation programs with the two zoos date back to over 20 years ago. Both have been fruitful and contributed a lot to giant panda conservation and research and the affinity between our peoples, Mao noted. 

As for Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, Mao said that China and the US have made full preparation in line with the requirements and technical standards for giant panda conservation cooperation to ensure their health and safety during the flight. 

Chinese experts will stay in the US for about three months until the pair end their quarantine period and become accustomed to their new home. There will be various ways for the public to learn about what their life will be like, according to Mao. 

Shaking off the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, China's international cooperation on giant pandas thrived this year. In February, the CWCA reached agreements with the Madrid Zoo in Spain and San Diego Zoo in the US in a new round of international cooperation for giant panda conservation. On April 29, a pair of 3-year-old giant pandas, Jin Xi (male) and Zhu Yu (female), arrived in Madrid and made their debut at the Madrid Zoo one month later after quarantine.

Xin Bao, a female giant panda born on July 23, 2020, and Yun Chuan, a male giant panda born on July 28, 2019, will be the first pair to enter the US in 21 years, the Global Times learned from the San Diego Zoo. 

"We are incredibly excited to welcome Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to the San Diego Zoo," San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance President and CEO Paul Baribault said in an email the zoo sent to the Global Times.  

"Our long-standing partnership with China Wildlife Conservation Association has been instrumental in advancing giant panda conservation, and we look forward to continuing our work together to ensure the survival and thriving of this iconic species," Baribault said.