by Xinhua writers Wu Qiong and Yu Li
CHENGDU, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) — In the plush enclosures of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 50-year-old researcher James Edward Ayala leans in to watch 2-year-old panda cub Rong Shuo, whose identify interprets to “Shining Chengdu.” With mild precision, he measures the cub’s paw measurement, a part of a examine monitoring male pandas’ growth.
“I love working with him…it’s kind of symbolic of my relationship with the city,” James, a U.S.-born scientist who has spent 15 years in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province informed Xinhua in an interview. Pandas right here aren’t simply animals, they’re bridges between cultures, science and other people, in accordance with him.
James, a recipient of China’s prestigious friendship awards and a torchbearer for the 2025 Chengdu World Games, embodies the worldwide collaboration behind panda conservation. His journey, from a New York zoo keeper to a contributor in China’s panda analysis, mirrors the species’ transformation — from an endangered animal to a cross-border cultural ambassador.
A CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORY WITH GLOBAL RIPPLES
When James first arrived in China in 2010, large pandas had been labeled as “endangered.” Today, their standing has improved to “vulnerable,” with wild populations rebounding from 1,100 within the Nineteen Eighties to just about 1,900 final yr, in accordance with knowledge launched on the Global Panda Partners 2024 convention.
China’s efforts, together with the launch of the Giant Panda National Park, are huge milestones for conservation, and it exhibits how dedicated the federal government is to conserving its wildlife, he stated, noting the Chinese authorities’s rising funding in analysis, nationwide parks, and agreements to United Nations laws concerning environmental legal guidelines.
Today, 757 pandas thrive in international breeding packages, and this progress is not confined to China. “Conservation to me is no longer the responsibility of a single country,” stated James, citing worldwide cooperation between the Chengdu base and the U.S. National Zoo and Japan’s Adventure World as vivid examples. “We have great relations with our partners, we exchange scientists and benefit from different aspects of conservation work,” he stated.
PANDAS AS CULTURAL DIPLOMATS
Pandas transcend cultures, in accordance with James. He recalled a current tour he led for German athlete Marcel Hassemeier — a number of World Games champion and fellow torchbearer for the Games on the Chengdu base. A primary-time panda viewer, Hassemeier spent hours discussing panda anatomy and physiology with James. “It’s interesting to see celebrities drawn to the science behind the cuteness,” he famous.
Li Desheng, chief knowledgeable at China’s Giant Panda Conservation Research Center, echoed this sentiment: “Giant pandas are one of China’s best business cards. Overseas netizens know them intimately, dreaming of visiting Sichuan to see them.”
This position as cultural ambassadors has deep roots. Li defined pandas’ international journeys unfolded in two phases — from 1957 to the early Nineteen Eighties, China gifted 23 pandas to 9 international locations, every arrival sparking widespread adoration.
As conservation took precedence, China shifted techniques publish 1982 — ending presents however launching short-term leases in 1984 and scientific collaborations in 1994 — with all pandas and offspring remaining China’s property, merging conservation with worldwide change.
In 2024, Tokyo panda lovers gathered for a fan-sharing occasion for Xiang Xiang, a Japan-born panda who returned to China a yr earlier. Fu Bao within the Republic of Korea sparked a 2024 social media frenzy upon her homecoming, with Korean and Chinese netizens sharing her antics. Earlier this month, the Moscow Zoo celebrated pandas Ding Ding and Ru Yi’s sixth yr in Russia, sparking extra Russian curiosity in China and its tradition.
BOOMING “PANDA ECONOMY”
Beyond their diplomatic position, pandas have spawned a vibrant ecosystem spanning tourism, cultural creativity and innovation. Chengdu’s panda base attracts 10 million annual guests, fueling a bustling native business — from panda-shaped pastries to high-tech souvenirs.
Take Hua Hua, a cub beloved for her endearing clumsiness — with 564,000 Weibo followers, her lifelike dolls promote for 1,000 yuan (about 140.02 U.S. {dollars}) every, with gross sales surpassing 3,000 models.
“Pandas hold trillion-yuan potential for Sichuan,” notes Gao Fei, head of Chengdu’s Guozhiguibao Cultural Tourism Company, affiliated with the bottom, which provides over 1,000 panda-themed merchandise. The metropolis’s Panda International Tourism Resort amplifies this affect, internet hosting productions just like the musical Panda, which gained finest overseas language musical on the nineteenth Daegu International Musical Festival final month within the Republic of Korea.
Experts stated these ventures do greater than showcase panda IP’s business viability — they unlock its deeper inventive and cultural worth, turning conservation tales into globally resonant narratives. Pandas, as China’s nationwide treasure, have robust social media attraction, with posts about them persistently garnering distinctive engagement and likes, stated Wu Dan, a Sichuan-based worldwide communication knowledgeable.
This, Wu added, vividly conveys the idea of people coexisting harmoniously with nature, boosting China’s international standing in biodiversity conservation and galvanizing international consensus and motion for sustainable growth.