PARIS－The cultural initiative Operation Panda was launched on Dec 13 in the Saint-Germain-des-Pres neighborhood of Paris by Chengdu International Finance Square and Saint-Germain-des-Pres Committee.

Chengdu IFS is one of the most sophisticated cosmopolitan city complexes in Chengdu, in Southwest China's Sichuan province, and the Saint-Germain-des-Pres Committee is an association of traders and local residents that aims to maintain the cultural traditions and prestige of the neighborhood.

The initiative is the first joint operation between the two sides since they established an international partnership in May to advance in-depth exchanges in art, culture, commerce and tourism promotion, with the support of Chengdu municipal government and the 6th arrondissement of Paris.

At the opening ceremony held at the traditional Christmas market of Saint-Germaindes-Pres, a panda artwork, specially created for Operation Panda by French contemporary artist Richard Orlinski, was officially unveiled.

The piece of art will be exhibited at the Christmas market for the holiday season before traveling to Beauval Zoo, the French zoo where pandas are on loan to France from China.

In June, the artwork will take part in the contemporary art fair Parcours Saint-Germain before being donated to the Necker children's hospital in central Paris.