China's protection of giant pandas will not be weakened despite their no longer being endangered, an official said Saturday.

Giant pandas are still first-class, key-protected wild animals in China and are seen as the flagship and umbrella species of China's endangered-species protection, according to China's Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The national treasure has become a trending topic in China after an official of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said it was downgraded from "endangered" to "vulnerable" at a press conference earlier this week.

The downgrade is a result of the population of giant pandas living in the wildness reaching 1,800.

It is a testimony to the achievements of our giant panda protection efforts and shows the international community's recognition for China's efforts in this area, the Forestry and Grassland Administration said.

Over the years, China has undertaken a raft of measures to strengthen the protection of wild animals, especially giant pandas. So far, the country has established 67 nature reserves for giant pandas, effectively protecting 53.8 percent of giant panda habitats and 66.8 percent of the wild giant panda population.

The administration said continued efforts will be made to strengthen the protection of giant pandas in accordance with domestic and international requirements.

(All images via VCG.)

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