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Mayor Martin Chavez, fresh off a nine-day visit to China, sees a land ripe with opportunity for forging business relationships.

But China's roaring economy might make it difficult to accomplish another of Chavez's stated goals - securing a giant panda for the Rio Grande Zoo.

Four U.S. zoos have negotiated deals with China to host pairs of pandas for an average price of about $1 million a year.

But with China's robust economy, the lure of the dollar isn't what it used to be, said David Towne, president of the Giant Panda Conservation Foundation and the United States' chief negotiator with China over pandas.

"The thing that's affecting Albuquerque, as well as Omaha and any other city that's interested in pandas, is that the Chinese basically are not as hungry for the dollar any more," Towne said. "The money just doesn't ring the same bell."

While the city's trip was a means of establishing business relationships with the Chinese, it was also an opportunity for Chavez and other city officials to discuss a panda deal face to face.

Rather than negotiating to host a pair of pandas directly from China, Chavez and zoo Director Ray Darnell for more than two years have discussed a plan by which the city would receive an offspring of one of the pandas hosted by the San Diego Zoo.

But doing so would require special permission from the Chinese government, which closely controls the management of the endangered species.

Chavez said the Albuquerque delegation - which included Darnell - met with key Chinese officials this week. Darnell and Tom Silva, the zoo's associate director, on Friday traveled to Hong Kong to view the country's latest panda exhibit, Chavez said.

Chavez said the city's panda discussions were "very productive," but "it's still pushing a rock uphill."

There are several issues that could hold up the process, Towne said.

One is that San Diego's loan agreement with China is set to expire next year. Towne said the expense of hosting the pandas is becoming too much for zoos. So as the agreements expire, zoos like San Diego intend to seek financial terms that are "something much more reasonable and sustainable."

Also, Chen Runsheng, secretary-general of the China Wildlife Conservation Association, the agency which loans out the pandas, retired last year. Towne said a permanent replacement has yet to be named.

It would work in Albuquerque's favor should Runsheng's eventual replacement be receptive to the city's unusual loan plan. But so far, China's been a tough negotiator, Towne said.

"I don't know that (Albuquerque's plan) has been rejected out of hand, but it certainly hasn't been an accepted argument," Towne said. "Maybe with some new leadership in the ministry, they may want to take a look at it."

Chavez did report some success on the business front from his trip.

He said a Chinese billionaire is planning a visit to Albuquerque in October to explore operating a steel recycling business here.

Also, the city signed an agreement with its sister city Lanzhou to create a high school cultural exchange program, in which Albuquerque students would learn Chinese culture by staying with a family in Lanzhou and vice versa.

Similarly, Chavez said the city would engage with Shanghai for a business internship exchange program in which students from both cities would spend time working in businesses from the other city.

Chavez also said that sometime in May the city will host a China Week in which a business delegation from Lanzhou and Shanghai will travel to Albuquerque to make local business contacts.

"It's wide open," Chavez said, speaking of China's economic environment. "They're looking to build their relationships."