On May 14, the welcoming ceremony of three golden snub-nosed monkeys was held at Pairi Daiza. The event was attended by over 600 people including Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Fei Shengchao, Minister of Tourism, Heritage, Infrastructure and Childcare of Wallonia Valérie Lescrenier, Minister of Civil Service, Administrative Simplification and Sports Infrastructure of Wallonia Jacqueline Galant, CEO of Pairi Daiza Eric Domb, Chinese and Belgian media, and representatives from various sectors in Belgium. The Minister-President of Wallonia Adrien Dolimont delivered a video speech.

Ambassador Fei Shengchao noted that President Xi jinping emphasized in his reply letter to Mr. Eric Domb’s letter that China is actively advancing Chinese modernization that fosters harmony between humankind and nature. The arrival of the three Qinling golden monkeys at Pairi Daiza marks a new achievement in China-Belgium cooperation on wildlife conservation and research. Hopefully the two sides will take this opportunity to further build bridges between China, Belgium and beyond, and contribute more to global biodiversity conservation.

Minister-President Adrien Dolimont extended gratitude to the Chinese government for its trust in Wallonia and conveyed his willingness to further promoting cooperation in economy and trade, culture, and environmental protection between China and Wallonia in Belgium. In her speech, Valérie Lescrenier expressed her appreciation for China-Belgium cooperation contributing to the development of Wallonia. Eric Domb said that Pairi Daiza will continue to serve as a symbol of the friendship between China and Belgium and to help deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples.