French zoo joins China in protecting giant pandas

A French zoo has established a long-standing partnership with China in the conservation and breeding of giant pandas.

The ZooParc de Beauval in France, home to a pair of giant pandas since 2012, has been actively involved in joint research and conservation programs with China, aimed at preserving the endangered species and their habitats.

The initiative to bring giant pandas to the ZooParc de Beauval was initiated by Francoise Delord, the zoo's founder. After five years of negotiations, Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, born at the southwest China's Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, arrived in France. Since then, China and France have collaborated on various initiatives to advance panda breeding techniques and contribute to their reintroduction into the wild.

Rodolphe Delord, chairman and CEO of ZooParc de Beauval and president of the French Association of Zoological Parks, emphasized the fruitful cooperation between the two countries.

"In any case, we've set up cooperation programs with our Chinese friends on breeding and reproduction techniques, on research into how to breed pandas better and reproduce them, all with the ultimate aim of reintroducing them into the wild. And today, the Chinese are reintroducing pandas, thanks to sufficient breeding in China's breeding centers. There are 500 pandas in China's breeding center and 20 zoos around the world. There is just enough diversity to be able to reintroduce these pandas," said Delord.

The zoo attracts about 2 million visitors annually, significantly raising awareness about panda conservation, according to Delord. 

"In France, we've been able to introduce the giant panda to 2 million people a year -- that's huge -- and to raise awareness of the work our Chinese friends are doing to protect the pandas. We've also been able to raise three babies, the first time in 2017 -- we raised the baby -- we had the second (which) unfortunately died. And in 2021, thanks to our Chinese friends, we managed to raise two babies. We've made real progress in breeding techniques, in research techniques to breed giant pandas ever better," said Delord.

The zoo has set up a sculpture of giant panda Yuan Meng, the first panda born in France, and its mom, this year to mark the cooperation between the two countries.

"So, I think this sculpture is a fine symbol of biodiversity conservation, of breeding and cooperation between France and China, of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China, but also of the 150th anniversary of cooperation between France and China on pandas, because it's been going on since 1869," said Delord.

French zoo joins China in protecting giant pandas

China will step up efforts to promote urban digital transformation on all fronts, in all areas and in the whole process to make urban management smarter, officials with the National Data Administration said at a press conference in Beijing on Monday.

By 2027, China is expected to see significant progress in digital transformation of urban areas, with the building of a number of livable, resilient and smart cities, according to a guideline on promoting the development of smart cities and urban digital transformation, which was released by the administration and several other government departments.

Efforts will be made to enhance integrated development of the digital economy, digital government, digital society, digital ecology and digital culture, in order to comprehensively strengthen the overall, systematic and sustainable development of urban digitalization, according to the document.

The guideline aims to deepen integration between digital technologies and the economy, governance and life via urban development, integrate data into the entire development cycle of the cities, and coordinate technical progress and institutional innovation, according to Chen Ronghui, deputy head of the administration.

"The guideline embodies the 'scenario-driven and people-centered' approach, which will give rise to the formation of a batch of tangible outcomes from digital applications, and which will promote effective implementation of the building of Digital China, so as to make the life and work of all urban residents more convenient, more comfortable and safer, and urban management more intelligent, more efficient and more precise," Chen said at the press conference.

The guideline stresses institutional innovation to adapt to digital development, so as to eliminate institutional barriers and bottlenecks that hinder urban digital transformation.

The document urges efforts to reform and reshape institutions and mechanisms, organizational structures, procedures and tools that are not conducive to urban digital transformation.

"Next, we will strengthen the combination of top-level design and grassroots-level innovation, exploring coordinated efforts between central and local authorities to promote digital transformation and institutional innovation. We will leverage the pioneering role of local governments, promptly summarize, replicate, and promote successful practices. We will incorporate [the successful practices] into national policies and institutions when conditions allow," said Lu Dongsen, deputy director of digital economy department of the administration.

China to promote urban digital transformation to make urban management smarter