More than just cuddly creatures, pandas are serving as China's charming cultural ambassadors, boosting tourism both domestically and internationally.
A panda sanctuary in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality is welcoming visitors to meet its 23 furry residents, captivating both locals and tourists alike.
Visitors are flocking to the zoo to catch a glimpse of the famous twin pandas, Yu Ke and Yu Ai, and the newest addition, the charming cub Qi San Mei, born in June.
“(I love) both Yu Ke and Yu Ai,” said Huang Yi, a local tourist.
“I saw Qi San Mei on a short video platform. She is so cute that I came to take a look at her with my own eyes,” said Xu Sicong, another tourist.
“Pandas they are great animals. I see them on the TV. Now I'm seeing them live. I'm very excited,” said a U.S. tourist.
“I love pandas. They are so cute. I wish we could pat a baby. Is it possible?” said another U. S. tourist.
Meanwhile, visitors can indulge their love for pandas by purchasing cute panda merchandise or enjoying panda-themed snacks and drinks.
The fascination with pandas extends far beyond China's borders. In Moscow, the Chinese Fauna Pavilion, with its panda exhibit, draws in over 15,000 visitors daily, fostering cultural exchange and understanding.
Recently, Russia's own panda superstar, Katyusha, was spotted frolicking in the snow at the Moscow Zoo, melting hearts with her adorable antics
Moreover, the Chinese pavilion at the World Travel Market (WTM) London 2024 used the undeniable charm of pandas to attract global attention, incorporating panda imagery into their decorations and marketing materials. WTM London is one of the world's most influential travel and tourism events.
Pandas shape China's global image, boost tourism
Attempts to curb China's scientific and technological advancement are futile, a fact that has already been proven, said Kishore Mahbubani, former permanent representative of Singapore to the United Nations, in an interview aired Friday.
In an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV) in Beijing, Mahbubani said he had stated this position in one of his articles published in the United States.
"Actually, I published an article, you know the two, I guess two leading journals in the United States on international relations. One is Foreign Affairs and the other is Foreign Policy. And last year I co-authored an article with two other co-authors, saying that all the efforts to stop China's scientific and technological development will fail. And it has failed always. You know, for example, the Soviet Union tried to prevent the spread of nuclear technology to China, China develops its own. The United States didn't want to share its technology on international space station with China. China develops its own space station. So clearly, efforts to stop China in the area of scientific innovation and technological development have failed. And so it'd be wiser for the West, including United States, to work with China other than to try and stop China seek development," he said.
Regarding China's progress on robots, Mahbubani said China is leading the world in the sector and hopes the country will share its expertise with the rest of the world.
"If there's one country that is preparing for the future well, it is China, because one in six human beings in the world is Chinese. But one in three robots in the world is Chinese, and one in two baby robots being born every day is Chinese. So China is producing far more robots than any other country is. So clearly it's preparing for the world of the future when we will have, for example, labor shortages, as you know, as you develop an aging society. So China is wisely investing in robots. But I hope that China will also share its learning and expertise with other countries. Also because the robots like that can also be helpful even to developing countries cause you can enhance the productivity of their populations, of their factories and so on so forth. So the world should be happy that China is leading the world in manufacturing, producing robots," he said.
Attempts to stop China's sci-tech development doomed to fail: former Singaporean diplomat
