BEIJING, Jan. 25 -- The population of giant pandas in the wild in China is currently around 1,900, rising from about 1,100 in the 1980s, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said Thursday.

This significant increase is largely due to China's intensified protection efforts, said Zhang Yue, an official with the administration.

The Giant Panda National Park was established in October 2021, covering a total area of over 22,000 square kilometers and providing around 72 percent of wild giant pandas with significant protection, Zhang said.

Protected areas of the giant panda habitat have grown from 1.39 million hectares to 2.58 million hectares since 2012, effectively maintaining the safety and sustainable development of the wild panda population, data from the administration showed.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has adjusted the threatened status of giant pandas from "endangered" to "vulnerable."

"This indicates that China's giant panda conservation efforts have been recognized by the international wildlife conservation community," Zhang said.

Apart from the wild population, the global captive population of giant pandas has now reached 728, with 46 pandas successfully bred in captivity last year, administration data revealed.

The genetic diversity of captive giant pandas has also improved. The current captive population of giant pandas can maintain 90 percent genetic diversity for up to 200 years, which means they are a healthy, dynamic and sustainable population, Zhang said, citing scientific assessment.

As for giant pandas living abroad, Zhang said the administration has organized field inspections and assessments of 23 overseas cooperation institutions in 19 countries since 2023, in a bid to strengthen the protection of overseas giant pandas.

"The cooperation institutions generally meet the requirements in terms of venue construction, feeding and nursing, and disease prevention and control measures," Zhang said, adding that pandas living abroad are generally "in good health."

China will further improve the international cooperation management mechanism for giant pandas, carry out regular daily health monitoring and field inspection and assessment, and continue to strengthen cooperation with international partners for the protection of endangered species and biodiversity, he said.