Reception held in Hanoi to mark 75th annversary of diplomatic ties between China, Vietnam

A reception marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam was held on Friday in Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, with the attendance of 500 people from various sectors of both countries.

Speaking at the reception, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei took a retrospective look at the China-Vietnam relations over the past 75 years and reflected on the remarkable journey of the two countries. He expressed the hope that the two countries will leverage high-quality and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries to further enhance the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

The Chinese ambassador also hoped that China and Vietnam will consolidate the bilateral relations with high-level people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and work together to set an examples of neighbors living in harmony and providing mutual assistance for other countries.

Nguyen Xuan Thang, a member of the Politburo of Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, said Vietnam has always regarded developing relations with China as a strategic choice and the top priority.

He said Vietnam is ready to take the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and the China-Vietnam Year of People-to-People Exchanges as an opportunity to push the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future to a new high.

"Cooperation [between Vietnam and China] in 2025 will certainly be very promising as the foundation for developing the relationship between the two countries will not only be consolidated, but will also be promoted and expanded in many new areas," said Nguyen Xuan Thang, who also serves as the president of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the chairman of Vietnam's Central Theoretical Council.

On Saturday, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President, exchanged congratulatory messages with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and Vietnam's President Luong Cuong over the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Reception held in Hanoi to mark 75th annversary of diplomatic ties between China, Vietnam

A local villager has captured rare footage of a wild giant panda roaming freely on a hillside in southwest China's Sichuan Province, with the creature spotted strolling by a nearby building.

In the clip shot by a local resident in Pingwu County of Mianyang City on May 8, the wild giant panda appears to be quietly going about its business as it slowly climbs a hillside with a calm and unhurried gait.

Many netizens raised questions after seeing the footage online, prompting an expert to share insights about the panda and offer some safety precautions.

Tu Zhengbin, deputy head of the Wildlife Protection Section of Forestry and Grassland Bureau in Pingwu County, explained why the panda is likely to have appeared at this location and detailed its physical condition.

"From the video, there is a reservoir nearby. It may have come down to drink some water. Based on the panda's size and its fur, we can basically determine that it is an adult giant panda. Moreover, you can see that the panda is walking rather briskly, indicating that it is in quite good health," said Tu.

Pingwu is one of the areas with the highest concentration of wild giant pandas in China, with more than 52 percent of the county's land area being designated as part of the Giant Panda National Park.

In recent years, local authorities have continued to capture numerous images of wild giant pandas using unobtrusive scientific monitoring methods such as infrared cameras.

The frequency of wild giant pandas coming down from the mountains and wandering into human-inhabited areas has also notably increased.

With this in mind, Tu also emphasized that proper safety measures should be taken when encountering a wild giant panda.

"If we encounter a giant panda in the wild, the first thing to do is to stay away from it. The second is to not make any loud noises. This way, we can both protect the giant panda and ensure our own safety," he said.

The number of wild giant pandas in China has risen from around 1,100 in the 1980s to nearly 1,900 today, with the steady increase being largely down to the comprehensive conservation efforts undertaken in recent years.

Rare sighting as wild giant panda spotted strolling on hillside in southwest China