Three golden snub-nosed monkeys from China made their public debut on Wednesday at the Beauval Zoo in France, marking the species' first journey outside Asia.
The golden snub-nosed monkey, or Sichuan snub-nosed monkey, is native to the mountainous forests of central and southwest China. Known for its striking golden fur and distinctive upturned nose, the golden snub-nosed monkey is a national treasure in China and is under its top-level state protection.
With their golden fur, striking blue faces, and playful antics, swinging from ropes and darting between trees, the monkeys quickly won over French visitors.
Sylvie Taccon, a visitor, expressed her enthusiasm fluently in Chinese.
"I love golden snub-nosed monkeys!" she said.
"I am really excited and emotional. There are a lot of emotional (moments). It is a beautiful place and monkeys are so amazing. So amazing to see them in reality. For me it is too much. It is really too much," said Catherine Langevin, an animal photography enthusiast.
The three primates, one male and two females, arrived in early April from the Shanghai Wild Animal Park, accompanied by a Chinese caretaker, and have since completed a month-long quarantine period.
Their arrival is part of a ten-year partnership between the Beauval Zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation in wildlife protection and conservation.
Their enclosure, named "The Heights of China" alongside the adjacent giant panda habitat, features traditional Chinese architecture, including glazed tiles, blue-and-white porcelain motifs, and winding corridors. The exhibit replicates the Qinling-Bashan mountain ecosystem, complete with climbing structures, hiding spots, and foliage from the monkeys' native habitat, including their favorite leaves.
At a welcoming ceremony on Wednesday, the zoo's director, Rodolphe Delord, unveiled the names of the new residents: Jindou (golden seed), Jinbao (golden treasure) and Jinhua (golden flower). These names were chosen through an online naming competition launched earlier this year.
The Beauval Zoo previously welcomed giant pandas Huan Huan and Yuan Zai from China in 2012, launching a Sino-French cooperation program on panda breeding. With the arrival of the golden snub-nosed monkeys, the zoo has become the first outside Asia to host this rare and endangered species.
"We are the only zoo outside China to exhibit both golden snub-nosed monkeys and giant pandas. This is a tremendous opportunity and honor. We at Beauval Zoo will continue to foster these exchange and collaboration projects between France and China," said Delord.
Golden snub-nosed monkeys from China make public debut at French zoo
Zhou Hongyi, founder of Chinese cybersecurity giant Qihoo 360 and a member of China’s top political advisory body, has stressed the need to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to confront mounting security threats in a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).
As a member to the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Zhou placed "AI plus” security at the core of his proposals to this year's "two sessions," which convene this week, framing it as China's frontline strategy for strengthening cybersecurity.
The "two sessions" are the yearly meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the CPPCC, which serve five-year terms and convene each March. The fourth session of the 14th NPC and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC kicked off on Thursday and Wednesday, respectively.
Expanding on the "AI plus" security agenda, Zhou said it would enable China to simulate cyberattacks, uncover weaknesses, and deploy digital agents across industries, measures he sees as vital to safeguarding enterprises in the AI era.
"This year I would like to first focus on 'AI plus' security, which means we must use AI's abilities to solve traditional security issues. For example we can simulate an attack to an enterprise's network, identifying its vulnerabilities and then fix them. Secondly, I think AI agents would be a key factor for 'AI plus' to be truly implemented into various industries, because large models have their own limits. Only by transforming large models into AI agents, and into digital experts and digital interns, can it be integrated with the business of enterprises," Zhou said.
Turning to the humanoid robots showcased at this year's Spring Festival Gala, Zhou said their appearance highlighted China's rapid progress in robotics and signaled that the era of intelligent machines is approaching.
"I am not surprised. I feel quite lucky I didn't do boxing with those robots on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, because I don't think I can hit them. I think China's robots manufacturing industry has seen huge progress over the past year. On the other hand, I think that show also reflects our country's industrial strategy, which is sending us a signal that an era of robots is coming. How shall we empower our enterprises through AI? That's a question our entrepreneurs and investors need to think about," he said.
As China embarks on its 15th Five-Year Plan in 2026, Zhou projects that the continued development of AI will drive substantial demand in key sectors, such as energy, raw materials, and chips.
"First I think energy, as well as some of the raw materials that can align with the development of computing power would see huge progress. The chips industry will also be developed. I think China needs more inference chips. And there would also be a huge demand for electricity," he said.
This year marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period, spanning from 2026 to 2030, a period widely seen as pivotal for the country's long-term development. The plan is expected to be formally endorsed by the NPC during the "two sessions" with more detailed targets released later.
CPPCC member calls for AI-driven defenses to safeguard enterprises amid rising cyber threats
