Fifty years of successfully saving pandas raises expectations for Sino-US ties

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first giant pandas in the US.

Over the past half century, China and the United States have worked closely on the conservation and breeding of giant pandas, which are no longer an "endangered" species.

Over the years, four American zoos — the Smithsonian's National Zoo, Memphis Zoo, San Diego Zoo and Atlanta Zoo — have loaned giant pandas from China, and those institutions have made significant contributions to panda conservation.

Giant pandas also have brought the people of the US and China closer together, sparking the enduring "giant panda craze" in the US.

The panda conservation project is a perfect example of China and the US working together, each with its own strengths, to achieve the same goal. Looking forward to the next 50 years.