Xi visits flower industrial park on inspection in southwest China's Yunnan

Chinese President Xi Jinping Wednesday visited a modern flower industrial park in the city of Lijiang, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

During the visit, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talked with villagers and technicians working at the flower industrial park, asking about the flower varieties, market sales and their incomes.

The Lijiang Modern Flower Industrial Park, located in Lijiang's Gucheng District, sits at an altitude of approximately 2,300 meters, covering an area of about 1,100 mu (about 73.3 hectares).

It serves as a key hub for China's flower industry, cultivating 48 varieties of fresh-cut roses, with an annual output of 39.56 million stems.

In addition to roses, the park also produces 18 varieties of colored calla lilies, with an output of 900,000 stems each year which accounts for 90 percent of the national market share, making the park the country's largest greenhouse-cultivated colored calla lily production site.

To better cultivate the flower crops, the park utilizes advanced agricultural techniques, including smart greenhouses and soil-less cultivation methods.

Beyond flower cultivation, it also engages in cold-chain logistics, leisure tourism and multi-channel sales expanding into value-added sectors, such as producing rose essential oils, floral fragrances and edible flower products.

With its products reaching major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, as well as international markets in Japan, Vietnam and Russia, the park has become a significant driver of local economic growth. It has also contributed to the country's rural development by creating jobs for over 300 people living in the surrounding areas.

Xi visits flower industrial park on inspection in southwest China's Yunnan

Xi visits flower industrial park on inspection in southwest China's Yunnan

Xi visits flower industrial park on inspection in southwest China's Yunnan

Giant pandas Chen Xing and Xiao Yue from China officially made their public debut in Malaysia on Saturday.

In a ceremony marking the event at the Giant Panda Conservation Center (GPC) at Zoo Negara, the country's national zoo in Selangor, the pair met eager visitors following their quarantine and acclimatization.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was the guest of honor. In his remarks at the ceremony, Anwar thanked China for the cooperation in the conservation of giant pandas, noting that they are hugely popular with the Malaysian public.

The Malaysian side has prepared high-quality bamboo for the giant pandas to help them better adapt to local life. The two pandas are now in good health and have fully acclimated to their new home.

Many local visitors waited in long lines and braved crowds for their chance to catch a glimpse of the pair.

"It's such a surprise to see a giant panda. We looked forward to it and had waited for a long time outside," said a visitor.

Many visitors said it was their first time to see a giant panda.

"We feel very happy because for me it's my first-time experience to see them in real life. [They are] very cute and very big also. So, I wish all of them well since they came to Malaysia," said a visitor.

"I hope they will be healthy and happy, feeling at home here," said another visitor.

China and Malaysia launched their first round of international cooperation on giant panda conservation in 2014.

Xing Xing and Liang Liang were the first pair of giant pandas sent to Malaysia in 2014 and completed an 11-year stay in Malaysia before returning to China last May.

Malaysia welcomed the arrival of new pair of giant pandas Chen Xing and Xiao Yue last November. This couple is to stay in the Southeast Asian country for 10 years.

New giant panda couple makes public debut in Malaysia