Panda ambassadors fostering China-France friendship

CHENGDU -- Two years after returning to his original hometown in Southwest China's Sichuan province, giant panda Yuan Meng, born at France's Beauval Zoo, has become a local celebrity, earning the nickname "Director Sheep" for his distinctive bleating sounds.

Keepers at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding described the eight-year-old as a "lively and curious boy with a big appetite." He especially enjoys extracting the savory filling from bamboo tubes before nibbling on the crisp, tender bamboo.

Yuan Meng's story is closely linked to Sino-French relations. His parents, Huan Huan and Yuan Zai, were sent from Chengdu to France's Beauval Zoo in 2012 as part of a panda conservation and cooperation program.

Under the agreements between China and France, the pair stayed at the zoo for 10 years. In 2017, their son Yuan Meng made history as the first panda ever born in France.

After the panda pair arrived in France, the number of annual visitors to the Beauval Zoo jumped from 600,000 to 2 million in 2024. In 2021, Huan Huan gave birth to twins, Huan Lili and Yuan Dudu, who are still in France.

Under the cooperation agreements, panda cubs born overseas are returned to China before the age of four to avoid inbreeding. Yuan Meng, however, left France just days before his sixth birthday, delayed by crowds of reluctant fans. Even after his departure, a 2.5-meter bronze statue of Yuan Meng was unveiled at Beauval Zoo in March 2024.

On Nov 26, 2025, his parents, Huan Huan and Yuan Zai, concluded their 13-year stay in France and returned to Chengdu.

According to China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration, over 50 pandas currently live overseas.

The panda connection between China and France dates back to 1869, when French Catholic priest, zoologist, and botanist Pierre Armand David contributed to the initial discovery of the animal in Sichuan, which was later identified a new species -- the giant panda.

Over the years, giant pandas have played the role of "ambassadors," fostering a bridge of friendship between China and France.

The Dengchigou Catholic Church, where David once lived, blends the architectural styles of western Sichuan with Gothic design and remains tucked amid the remote mountains of Baoxing county, Ya'an city, about 200 kilometers from Sichuan's capital, Chengdu.

Today, most of the church's space is dedicated to natural science education about giant pandas and showcasing the construction of the Giant Panda National Park, as well as celebrating the friendship between China and France fostered through these iconic animals.

From setting up the first panda reserves in 1963 to establishing the Giant Panda National Park across three provinces in 2021, China's efforts to protect the species have delivered tangible results. Reflecting this progress, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reclassified the giant panda in 2016, moving it from "endangered" to "vulnerable."

The city of Ya'an accounts for nearly 40 percent of the land within the national park, with Baoxing county now home to China's highest density of wild pandas. This year alone, 11 wild panda sightings in the county have been reported.

In 2024, China's forestry authority and the French Biodiversity Office agreed to foster a partnership between the Giant Panda National Park and France's Pyrenees National Park, focusing on biodiversity monitoring, species protection, science popularization and education, and personnel training.

As China and France celebrate 61 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, the panda ambassadors continue to symbolize the two countries' shared commitment to protecting the planet and promoting collective well-being.