The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province has used artificial insemination to produce seven giant pandas this year, bringing the total number to 54 over the past 20 years, with 32 surviving more than six months.

Li Guanghan, the center's director, attributed the success to a simulated wild environment program at the center which has allowed researchers to carry out a comprehensive study of breeding and illness prevention of giant pandas and develop artificial insemination technology.

Since China used artificial insemination to breed the first panda cub in 1963, twelve zoos and one animal reserve in the world have bred about 140 giant pandas, with about 50 surviving more than six months.

The 30-hectare base in the northern suburb of Chengdu has been developing breeding technology since it used frozen semen for artificial insemination in 1980.

Giant pandas only conceive one or two babies with each pregnancy. Less than 10 percent of the center's males and 24 percent of the females are able to mate by themselves.

Early this month, two giant pandas from the center were sent to Atlanta in the United States. They will stay there for ten years.

There are only about 1,000 surviving pandas in China found in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. Eighty percent of them come from Sichuan.