China, U.S. make preparations to send a pair of giant pandas to San Francisco Zoo in 2025

BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- It is learned that the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the San Francisco Zoo of the U.S. will make various preparations and try to send a pair of giant pandas to San Francisco Zoo in 2025, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday.

Lin made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked to share more about the Letter of Intent on International Cooperation of Giant Panda Conservation signed by the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the San Francisco Zoo of the U.S. on Friday morning.

"We noted that China Wildlife Conservation Association released relevant information, and we are glad to see the two sides reach a letter of intent on the cooperation on giant panda conservation," Lin said.

Lin said giant pandas are not only a national treasure of China but also welcomed and loved by people across the world. "They are emissaries and bridges for friendship," he added.

Noting that the U.S. is one of the first countries to carry out cooperation with China on giant panda conservation, Lin said since the 1990s, the Chinese and U.S. researchers have worked together to successfully breed 17 giant panda cubs, contributing to the conservation and breeding of giant pandas.

Meanwhile, the two sides have conducted joint study on the conservation of giant pandas in the wild, their feeding and breeding, and disease prevention, control and treatment, he added.

Lin said, together, the two sides cracked a number of difficult technical issues, enhanced sci-tech exchanges and capacity building in the conservation of giant pandas and other endangered wildlife, and played a positive role in improving the overall conservation of giant pandas, building closer bond between the two peoples and deepening people-to-people friendship.

According to Lin, this round of cooperation will continue to fully tap the collective wisdom, resources and knowledge of the two sides, improve the capability and level of the conservation of endangered species and biological diversity, and contribute to the friendship between the two peoples.