Two giant pandas from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding were shipped to a zoo in Berlin in July, serving as "ambassadors of friendship" in Germany.

The relocation came after an agreement signed by the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Berlin Zoo in late April for 15-year cooperation in panda research, protection and education.

The collaboration will increase exchanges between China and Germany in biodiversity preservation and protection of endangered species. It also helps to promote people-to-people understanding and friendship between the two countries, according to insiders.

The 4-year-old female panda named Meng Meng and 7-year-old male Jiao Qing now live in their new home at Berlin Zoo, which cost 10 million euros ($11.74 million).

Covering an area of nearly 5,500 square meters, the Chinese-style Panda Garden feature spacious greenery, an artificial rivulet and climbing facilities. The pandas have their respective rooms and outdoor spaces.

"The Berlin Zoo will do its best to make the new residents from China feel at home and cooperate with Chengdu scientists on research into pandas," said Andreas Knieriem, director of the zoo.

Top experts from the zoo have paid a visit to Chengdu, Sichuan province, to conduct research into pandas' habits and breeding technologies.

The pandas are a real hit in Berlin, with their images printed on souvenirs at the city's airport, bus stops and shopping malls, Knieriem said.

The nonprofit panda breeding research base in Chengdu, the first of its kind in the world, was founded in 1987 and rescued six wild pandas that year, which were frail due to hunger or disease.

Noted for its leading-edge technologies, the base had developed the world's largest domestic panda population of 176 by the end of 2016.

To increase connectivity between different habitats and promote integrated protection across regions, Sichuan and neighboring provinces are planning to set up a national panda-themed park as a pilot project.

As part of the planned national park, the Chengdu section will take up 1,616 sq km on Longmen Mountain, which is currently home to 73 wild pandas.

The project will help to protect the ecosystem and preserve the biodiversity in panda habitats, according to Hou Rong, director of the research center at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and a deputy of the National People's Congress.

The city government has made it a priority to develop ecological civilization in Chengdu's development plan.

The authorities released a series of policies in June to reduce smog and water pollution, control traffic and increase green coverage, in a bid to build an eco-friendly industrial structure.

A total of 1,500-kilometer greenbelts will be added to the city, including a 500-km tree-lined avenue, according to the latest development plan.

Work on the initial 95 km section started in the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone in August, which will include entertainment and smart service facilities.

The 22nd Session of the UN World Tourism Organization General Assembly is scheduled to be held in Chengdu from Sept 11 to 16, partially thanks to its improved environment.

It will be the second time that the UNWTO general assembly will take place in China, after the first was held in Beijing in 2003.

(China Daily 09/04/2017 page20)