The population of giant pandas, China's beloved mascot, is growing stably thanks to an improving environment of their habitats in wake of the country's conservation efforts, according to sources with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
Giant pandas are a national treasure of China and a flagship species of global biodiversity protection.
In October 2021, the country set up a Giant Panda National Park spanning its southwestern province of Sichuan and northwestern provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu, protecting more than 70 percent of the wild giant pandas in the nation. More than 1,300 wild giant pandas live in the park which covers some 22,000 square kilometers. In interviews with China Central Television, staff members of the park said their encounters with wild giant pandas are becoming more and more frequent in recent years, and that they even had to use drones to capture the footage of five different giant pandas at the same location in one month in Gansu.
"According to our latest monitoring data, the number of giant pandas monitored in the scope of key areas has risen by 50 compared with four years ago, which shows that the population of giant pandas is going up steadily, and the isolation of small populations is continuing to ease," said Yang Zhisong, deputy head of Sichuan Giant Panda Research Institute.
Population of giant pandas in China grows in better living environment: authorities
The ongoing China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) has attracted scores of new participants this year, with repeat participants also making their mark at the fair.
Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," the trade fair, opened in China's capital city Beijing on Thursday and runs till Monday.
The CIFTIS is becoming more and more international, with a total of 36 Belt and Road partners showcasing their products.
Tharaka Dissanayake who works at the Sri Lankan Embassy in China has participated in the fair many times. He came to promote tea culture this time and believes that tea culture can better strengthen cooperation and exchanges between the two countries.
"For any commodity, it's a huge market. Obviously, this is one of the greatest platforms close to the Chinese consumer, to introduce ourselves, introduce our products, whatever the services or innovation," said Abeysekara, third secretary of the Sri Lankan Embassy in China.
An old friend of the fair was playing an African drum and the rhythmic sound attracted a large crowd.
"I'm here again. Many people took my WeChat and my contact, my number. So they called me, they ordered and they need more," said a Ghanaian exhibitor.
Dewi Avilia, Counselor for Social and Cultural Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in China, is also attending the exhibition for the second time. She emphasized the need to promote cultural tourism as recent policies have made it easy for more Indonesian friends to travel to China.
"Chengdu and Chongqing have become two of the most popular tourist destinations for Indonesia. A lot of people now are not only talking about Shanghai, but are also talking about Chengdu, visiting the pandas and also Chongqing, because of the landscape. I think it is a good start," said Avilia.
This year's fair has also attracted huge number of new participants showcasing quality products.
"This is my first time. It's a great opportunity that we are able to showcase our products and to let people know about Uganda and Ugandan culture," said Mukisa Joseph, a Ugandan exhibitor.
"The expectations about this fair is to meet many people in the coffee industry. So far we have had a lot of consumers who are interested in roasted coffee. I'm still expecting more," said Mutijima Emma, a Rwandan exhibitor.
An Uzbek exhibitor, who is also a newcomer, initially intended to use this platform to promote his goods, but unexpectedly met partners from many other countries and found potential business opportunities here.
"This is a good platform to see the different global products and see the Chinese market all together. I met so many different people, but I also met many foreign people who are interested in our products. So I call these kind of events more like a globalization event," said Asilbek Khonkhujaev, an Uzbek exhibitor.
The fair has attracted attendees from 85 countries and international organizations, with over 450 Fortune 500 enterprises and companies taking the lead in their respective industries.
Newcomers, old friends gather at CIFTIS to seek new opportunities
