Sixty years of China-France diplomatic ties and 155 years of the discovery of the giant panda by the scientific community was celebrated in an apt way with the "Giant Panda origin tracing tour" on April 22. 

The inaugural ceremony of the International Panda Culture Communication Center.

More than 100 scholars, experts, government officials and young people from 10 countries attended the event in Ya'an, Sichuan Province in southwest China, organized by Dialogue Chine-France, a magazine published by the Center for Europe and Africa (China Today) under the China International Communications Group (CICG), and the Baoxing County government.  

In his speech, CICG Vice President Yu Yunquan calls the giant panda a key cultural link between China and the rest of the world. 

CICG Vice President Yu Yunquan said the giant panda is a messenger of peace and friendship. Since the scientific discovery of the giant panda 155 years ago, it has captivated people all over the world with its unique appearance and become an unrivaled symbol of cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

Yu also called the panda a natural bond in youth exchanges, strengthening the tie between younger generations. With CICG being committed to the international dissemination of Chinese culture as well as the exchange and mutual learning of Chinese and foreign civilizations, he hoped the event would promote the world's understanding of the giant panda culture. 

Nie Ying speaks about the origin of the panda culture in Baoxing. 

Nie Ying, head of the Publicity Department of the Ya'an Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, said the panda culture originated in Baoxing. More than 130 captive pandas in China are from the county and 13 of them have been given to other countries as a symbol of friendship. Ya'an is committed to promoting the giant panda culture, carrying out more giant panda-based cultural exchanges with other countries, and building Ya'an into an important tourist destination for the giant panda culture. 

Erik Solheim emphasizes the importance of international communication on wildlife conservation in his video message. 

In his video speech former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Erik Solheim emphasized that international communication on wildlife conservation is necessary. A range of cooperation projects in panda breeding and protection between China and France have yielded good results. Communication on wildlife conservation has also strengthened the friendship among China, France and other countries. 

French author and China expert Sonia Bressler highlights how the giant panda plays a vital role in China-France cultural exchanges.  

French author and China expert Sonia Bressler said in her video message that the giant panda plays a vital role in China-France cultural exchanges. Even though geopolitical tensions are rising, the China-France friendship continues to contribute to world peace. She called the event a good opportunity to strengthen the bond between the two countries, create more bilateral dialogues, and raise public awareness of biodiversity. 

Professor Meng Man calls the giant panda the embodiment of the Chinese spirit of advocating peace and harmonious coexistence with nature in her speech. 

Meng Man, a professor at the College of History and Culture, Minzu University of China, said the giant panda embodies the Chinese people's spirit of advocating peace and the harmonious coexistence between human and nature. The rooster, which represents French resourcefulness, bravery and the pursuit of freedom, and the cultural symbols of other countries, reflect the inclusiveness of human civilizations. 

Margot Chevestrier hopes the youth representatives would enjoy the beautiful natural beauty and local culture in Baoxing. 

Margot Chevestrier from France, a youth representative, described her happiness on being able to return to the panda's hometown one year after a previous trip. She hoped all the young people on the tour would enjoy the beautiful natural beauty and local culture in Baoxing, and learn the fascinating stories of people and pandas coexisting harmoniously.  

Contemporary Chinese poet Shu Ting and Deputy Chief of the Publicity Department of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee Fang Xiaohu also attended the event.  

CICG's Center for Europe and Africa International Communications Base is inaugurated.

CICG's Center for Europe and Africa International Communications Base was also inaugurated during the event by Zhang Juan, deputy editor-in-chief of CICG's Center for Europe and Africa, together with the heads of the publicity departments from Jungar Banner in Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; Songyang County in Lishui, Zhejiang Province; and Ya'an's Media Center.  

International youth representatives attend a cultural salon and plant the "International Youth Forest," calling on more people to join the efforts of panda conservation. 

In the ensuing panda culture salon, 14 international youth representatives from France, Germany, Britain, Italy, the United States and other countries interacted with Chinese scholars on giant panda protection and fostering the giant panda culture. They also jointly signed the Initiative for Global Youth Action for Giant Panda Conservation, planted trees for the "International Youth Forest," and called on more young people to contribute to giant panda conservation and global biodiversity protection. 

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