China has long conveyed friendship through "panda diplomacy." Now, on the shores of the South China Sea, the Guangdong city of Zhanjiang is turning to the Chinese white dolphin for its unique "dolphin diplomacy" grounded in shared environmental interests.
Adult and juvenile Chinese white dolphins break the surface in Leizhou Bay, Zhanjiang. (Photo: Zhong Zhihui)
The Chinese white dolphin is under first-class state protection in China, with roughly 6,000 individuals remaining worldwide. Adults are often pink rather than white, the color coming from blood vessels beneath their skin. Zhanjiang is home to the world's second-largest population, which the city has made one of its ecological calling cards.
The species gained wider international attention in June 2025, when the documentary "The Giant Panda of the Sea" premiered at the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France.
Directed by renowned French filmmaker Philippe Savine, the production drew on a local crew that filmed extensively in Leizhou Bay, Zhanjiang. Told through the lens of French researcher Agathe Serre, it follows efforts across Zhanjiang to protect the "giant pandas of the sea."
The documentary "The Giant Panda of the Sea" screens at the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, in June 2025. (Photo: Zhanjiang Municipal Bureau of Foreign Affairs)
On screen, the pink dolphins moved against azure waters, winning widespread admiration from conference delegates.
Chinese white dolphins surface off Zhanjiang. (Photo: Chen Shenglan)
The enthusiastic response to the documentary was followed by concrete cooperation. Zhanjiang signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on strengthening exchanges and cooperation with the French cities of Nice and Sucy-en-Brie, establishing friendly city relations.
Representatives of Zhanjiang and Nice sign a memorandum of understanding on exchanges and cooperation. (Photo: He Ling)
Author | Deng Anqi
Revised by Huang Qini
