China welcomed the public debut of giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang at Zoo Atlanta, saying the new round of panda conservation cooperation between China and the United States will help strengthen friendship between the two peoples and contribute to global biodiversity conservation.
The announcement on Sept 24 that the two pandas would soon arrive at Zoo Atlanta was warmly welcomed by people from various sectors in the US, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.
The pair arrived in Atlanta on Sept 27 and recently made their public debut at the zoo.
Guo expressed delight at seeing the pandas meet the American public, saying they would bring joy to the people of the US and help bring the hearts of the two peoples closer together.
Giant pandas are China's national treasures and ambassadors of friendship, he said.
To ensure the pandas' health and safety during their journey and help them adapt to their new environment, both sides made extensive preparations in strict accordance with international giant panda conservation requirements and technical standards.
Guo expressed confidence that the new round of China-US cooperation on giant pandas would help enhance conservation capabilities for giant pandas and other endangered species, advance global biodiversity conservation and further strengthen friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.
