Black-and-white star power

A child waits for the arrival of giant pandas "Xing Hui" and "Hao Hao" in Brussels. Photo provided to China Daily

Panda visit wows Obama family on last day of tour

Panda cubs at Chengdu Research Base in SW China

The black-and-white bears were granted a red-carpet reception by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his wife and Chinese ambassador Zhang Junsai.

The pomp and circumstance surrounding pandas' arrival in foreign lands equals or exceeds that of rock stars and royalty, let alone bipedal diplomats'.

Most recently, Belgium's prime minister welcomed Xing Hui and Hao Hao over schoolchildren's cheers upon their arrival in Brussels on Feb 23.

So, it's unsurprising the Kung Fu Panda franchise proved a box-office knockout. Tan Kai's book, Hello, I Am Panda - written over 33 years from a cub's perspective and published in English and Chinese - was smash hit.

Media clamor surrounded the opening of the world's first panda-themed hotel near Sichuan province's Emei Mountain in 2012. The rooms offer various panda motifs - The Titanic (its artwork replaces the film's protagonists with pandas), astronaut, pianist and princess, Sichuan Haoduo Panda Hotel Co chairman Qin Jian explains.

"We commission panda artworks that actually depict humanity - our lives," he says.

Staffers also don panda costumes on official holidays. Sometimes, they dance.

Beyond major productions, the critters' images adorn everything from a top namesake Chinese cigarette brand to toilet seat covers. Make "everything" anything.

But why is the world so enamored with these animals? And what does this portend for China's image?

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