The panda twin cubs Huan Lili and Yuan Dudu are seen at the Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan, France, March 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

The China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) announced on Thursday that it signed a letter of intent with Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan, France, to extend their international cooperation on giant panda conservation. 

In order to strengthen China-France cooperation on giant panda conservation, enhance overall scientific research capacity, and promote people-to-people exchanges, the CWCA and France’s Beauval Zoo signed a letter of intent on Thursday to extend their international collaboration on panda protection, per a statement released on CWCA’s WeChat account on Thursday. 

The new phase of cooperation will begin after the current agreement expires and the two panda cubs in France return to China.

Panda couple Huan Huan and Yuan Zai returned to China from the zoo in November 2025 and their baby twins Huan Lili and Yuan Dudu are currently in France. 

Both sides have agreed to maintain close communication and promote the formal signing of the extended cooperation agreement accomplished as soon as possible in accordance with international requirements and technical standards for giant panda conservation. 

A new pair of giant pandas is planned to arrive at France’s Beauval Zoo in 2027, with a cooperation period of ten years.

Global Times