France to Receive New Panda Pair Under Renewed 10-Year Deal With China
Listen to the full version
French first lady Brigitte Macron visited a panda breeding base in Chengdu on Friday, meeting a giant panda born in France for whom she is the godmother.
Her visit, part of a state trip to China with President Emmanuel Macron, came a day after the two countries signed a letter of intent to extend their giant panda conservation cooperation for another decade. Under the new 10-year deal, a new pair of pandas will be sent to France’s Beauval Zoo in 2027.
The agreement reaffirms the role of “panda diplomacy” in Sino-French relations, a longstanding practice where China loans the bears to foster goodwill. The renewal signals continued cooperation despite the recent return to China of an older panda couple from the same French zoo due to health concerns.
Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.
Subscribe to both Caixin Global and The Wall Street Journal — for the price of one.
- RELATED
- DIGEST HUB
Digest Hub
Back
- Brigitte Macron visited Chengdu’s panda breeding base as part of a state trip, meeting Yuan Meng, a panda born in France.
- France and China signed a 10-year panda conservation agreement; new pandas will arrive at Beauval Zoo in 2027.
- China's panda population totals around 2,700 (1,900 wild, 808 captive); releasing captive pandas to the wild remains challenging.
- Beauval Zoo
- Beauval Zoo is a French zoo that previously housed pandas Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, who recently returned to China due to health concerns. Their twin daughters, Yuan Dudu and Huan Lili, will remain at the zoo until January 2027. A new agreement will send a new pair of pandas to Beauval Zoo in 2027, continuing "panda diplomacy" between France and China.
- MOST POPULAR
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook
Sign in with 财新