In May 2014, China and Croatia established an international research centre for environmental protection that has developed an important platform for the exchange of know-how and cooperation between the two countries in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development, Krka National Park officials said.

The agreement signed on Tuesday is the continuation of the existing cooperation and provides an opportunity to upgrade knowledge and exchange experience in environmental protection, sustainable management, marketing activities and ecological development.

Although on different sides of the world, the Huanglong Nature Reserve and Krka National Park share a similar karst landscape and large bio-diversity. They are also facing common challenges with regard to protection of sensitive eco-systems and sustainable development.

"This agreement provides an opportunity for various forms of cooperation, academic visits, joint studies and publications that will contribute to better mutual understanding, sustainable community development, development of institutional mechanisms, further development of visitor systems and above all, preservation of biological diversity, research cooperation and information exchange," the director of the Krka National Park, Kresimir Sakic, said.

Huanglong ("yellow dragon") is a scenic and historic interest area in the northwest part of Sichuan, China. It is located in the southern part of the Minshan mountain range, 370 kilometres northwest of the capital Chengdu. This area is known for its colorful pools formed by calcite deposits, especially in Huanglonggou (Yellow Dragon Gully), as well as diverse forest ecosystems, snow-capped peaks, waterfalls and hot springs. Huanglong is also home to many endangered species including the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey. Huanglong was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992.