New pandas make San Diego debut, boost bilateral conservation research

Accompanied by strains of Chinese classical music and cheers from a crowd of onlookers, the San Diego Zoo's Panda Ridge officially opened on Thursday, a tribute to the remarkable achievements of China and the United States in giant panda and wildlife conservation.

Officials from both nations gathered at the ceremony, celebrating the moment by highlighting the symbolism of the exhibit as a bridge between the two countries.

When Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng mentioned that fans in California of the two young pandas had written letters proposing that the US give China grizzly bears in exchange for the pandas, the guests at the ceremony laughed warmly.

Xie noted that in November, President Xi Jinping announced in San Francisco that China is ready to continue cooperation with the US on panda conservation and "do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples".

"Your dream has come true even without giving us grizzly bears," Xie told the audience members, who held traditional Chinese paper fans symbolizing good luck.

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao arrived at the end of June. The first character in the name of Yun Chuan is a nod to his grandma Bai Yun, the previous superstar at the zoo, who gave birth to six cubs during her 23 years in San Diego. The first character in the name of Xin Bao means a treasure of prosperity and abundance.

Xie said the arrival of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao during the celebration of the 45th anniversary of US-China diplomatic ties has sent a clear and important message.