China's population of captive giant pandas has nearly doubled over the past decade, reaching a total of 808, head of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Liu Guohong, said this Friday.

This growth has established a sustainable breeding group for the species, Liu said at the Global Panda Partners Conference 2025 being held in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The population represents a significant rise from the 422 recorded in late 2015. Liu attributed the growth to improved breeding research, including establishing a national innovation alliance for giant Panda conservation, which pools resources for the study of key issues such as genetic diversity.

The conservation efforts have also made use of advanced technology, with authorities deploying an integrated "space-air-ground" monitoring system to track wild giant pandas, Liu said.

China has improved the protection of giant panda habitats. Seventy-three isolated nature reserves were integrated into the Giant Panda National Park, which covers 22,000 square kilometers.

The administration pledged to align future conservation strategies with the Communist Party of China Central Committee's recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), which stress efforts to steadily enhance the diversity, stability, and sustainability of ecosystems.

Running from Nov. 20 to 22, the conference comprises a plenary session, eight parallel sessions and a series of supporting activities focusing on topics such as ecological civilization, panda culture, and cultural tourism.

Known as the "hometown of giant pandas," Sichuan has the largest panda habitat in the world and is home to over 70 percent of China's wild giant panda population.