Officials at the famous Wolong Nature Reserve for giant pandas signed an agreement Saturday with the Luneng Group Company based in east coastal China to enhance the tourism facilities in the nature reserve.

The two sides will set up a special company to promote tourism there. This is the first "large scale", "conservation-oriented" exploitation of natural resources in the reserve area.

"We will, on the precondition of protection of the giant pandas and the region's eco-system, make the most of local natural resource advantages to promote local economy," sources from Luneng said.

Wolong is one of the most important natural habitats for the giant panda which is a badly endangered animal with an estimated total number of only 1,000, living in west China's mountain areas.

(People’s Daily 02/12/2001)