French first lady meets her "old friend" in China

China

French first lady meets her "old friend" in China

2025-12-06 03:45 Last Updated At：18:17

French first lady Brigitte Macron paid a special visit to an old friend in southwest China's Chengdu on Friday, as she stopped off to see an eight-year-old male panda which was born in France but was later returned to China.

The happy encounter came as French President Emmanuel Macron's three-day state visit to China reached a heartwarming conclusion, with Brigitte Macron heading to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan Province to be reunited with Yuan Meng (meaning "accomplishment of a dream"), the panda she helped name following its birth at France's ZooParc de Beauval (Beauval Zoo).

Yuan Meng's parents, Huan Huan, and Yuan Zi, arrived in France in 2012 at the age of three on a 10-year loan from China. In 2017, Huan Huan gave birth to twin cubs, the first cub died shortly after birth and the second one was named "Yuan Meng".

When "Yuan Meng" returned to China after completing its stay in France in July 2023, First Lady Brigitte went to the airport in person to see it off and expressed that she would come to China to see it if an opportunity arises.

This trip was her wish coming true. Upon arriving at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Brigitte was very concerned about "Yuan Meng's" life in China. She learned from the staff that "Yuan Meng" had adapted very well after returning to China and was being taken care of by dedicated breeders.

"We would be very glad if pandas could come to France again in the future," said the French first lady.

China flu activity declines for fourth week, no new pathogens detected: official

Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks, with recent tests showing common pathogens and no evidence of new infectious diseases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday.

At its first press briefing of 2026, the commission reported that flu activity nationwide remains moderate at the moment.

According to Xin Li, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, respiratory samples collected from sentinel hospitals indicated that the influenza virus was the most common pathogen, accounting for 27.4 percent of cases, followed by respiratory syncytial virus at 8.8 percent and rhinovirus at 5.7 percent.

"Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks and remains at a moderate level overall. Analysis of nationwide fever clinic consultations, influenza-like illness cases at sentinel hospitals, and multi-pathogen testing shows that all detected pathogens are known common ones, with no evidence of unknown pathogens or new infectious diseases," Xin told the press.

Data from sentinel hospitals indicated flu activity was falling across provincial-level regions, while reports of school outbreaks dropped for five consecutive weeks. Laboratory tests showed that 97.3 percent of positive influenza samples were H3N2 subtype viruses.