BEIJING, June 27 -- The latest China-Austria and China-U.S. cooperation projects on giant panda protection will promote global biodiversity conservation and enhance the friendships between Chinese and foreign peoples, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily press briefing on Thursday, in response to a related query.

Mao said that Schonbrunn Zoo in Austria and the San Diego Zoo in the United States are both world-famous zoos. China has been cooperating on giant panda protection research with the two zoos for more than 20 years, achieving fruitful results, making positive contributions to improving the level of giant panda protection research, and enhancing friendships between peoples.

The China Wildlife Conservation Association and Schonbrunn Zoo signed a new cooperation agreement on international giant panda conservation and research on June 26, she said. And a new pair of giant pandas from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda will be sent to Austria as part of a 10-year cooperation project. Giant pandas Yuan Yuan and Yang Yang, who currently live at Schonbrunn Zoo, will return to China this year.

"Giant pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao have taken a flight to the San Diego Zoo in the United States this morning," Mao said, noting that China and the United States have made various preparations in accordance with the relevant requirements and technical standards for international cooperation on the protection of giant pandas to ensure their health and safety during the flight.

Chinese experts will remain in the United States for about three months, accompanying the two giant pandas through their quarantine period and helping them adapt to their new living environment. The public will be able to learn about their daily lives in many ways, Mao added.

"We believe the latest China-Austria and China-U.S. giant panda protection cooperation projects will contribute to promoting the health and well-being of giant pandas, to improving our ability to protect endangered species such as the giant panda, to promoting global biodiversity conservation, and to enhancing the friendships between Chinese and foreign peoples," she said.