Chapultepec Zoo celebrates 35th birthday of panda Xin Xin in Mexico City

The Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City on Sunday celebrated the 35th birthday of the giant panda Xin Xin, who is the oldest among the rare Chinese animals living overseas.

Xin Xin is the grandchild of two giant pandas, Ying Ying and Bei Bei, who were presented to Mexico by the Chinese government in the 1970s. Currently, the female panda is the only giant panda in Latin America.

A 35-year-old panda is roughly equivalent to a 110-year-old human.

The Chapultepec Zoo has always taken good care of Xin Xin by building an air-conditioned house for her, growing bamboos to ensure pandas' adaptation to local climate and food, and adding Cactus leaves, a local specialty, into her diet.

The zoo prepared a birthday cake, fruits and fresh bamboos for Xin Xin, and hundreds of Mexicans came to the zoo to attend the birthday celebration, many of whom wrote down their best wishes to her.

"We know that Xin Xin is going to celebrate her 35th birthday. If I remember correctly, it may be on Monday? We are very glad to see her up close. Usually, we don't see her every time we come. I'm so excited," said a local resident.

"Today is Xin Xin's 35th birthday. From my outfit, you can see that I'm a panda fan," said another one.

"What I wrote for her is 'Happy Birthday to You, Xin Xin' from Santiago," said a boy.

Chapultepec Zoo celebrates 35th birthday of panda Xin Xin in Mexico City

Chapultepec Zoo celebrates 35th birthday of panda Xin Xin in Mexico City

Chapultepec Zoo celebrates 35th birthday of panda Xin Xin in Mexico City

Chapultepec Zoo celebrates 35th birthday of panda Xin Xin in Mexico City

As China's national lawmakers and political advisors are gathering in Beijing for the annual meetings, foreign observers say that the meetings will not only set the course for China's future development, but also contribute to global economic growth.

The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, while the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's supreme organ of state power, is scheduled for Thursday.

These meetings serve both as a review of past achievements and as a strategic compass guiding the nation's future development, as China embarks on the inaugural year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period.

Marina Ragus, deputy speaker of Serbia's National Assembly, said that the meetings are important not only for China, but also for countries such as Serbia, which participates in the Belt and Road Initiative and is a part of a community of shared future with China.

"This is the first year of the 15th in a row five-year plan. What will be the significance of this is the kind of a road-map for China internally, but also globally. Not only that, if the main focal point of this five-year plan is quality, innovation, science, technology, that is kind of engine for the world's economy. We are part of the Belt and Road Initiative. We are part the community of shared future with China. So, for us as well, 'two sessions' are the most important event for a future to come," said Ragus.

Marcos Cordeiro Pires, a professor on the international political economy at Sao Paulo State University in Brazil, said that the 15th Five-year Plan is set to have far-reaching effects on the global economy.

"I would like to highlight two points [in the 15th Five-year Plan] that are of great importance for Brazil and other countries. The first is the priority placed on the green transition. The second concerns openness in global trade. China has become a new safe harbor at a time when some countries are adopting protectionist policies that hinder the integration of the world economy," said Pires.

As China's push for high-quality development is progressing steadily, international observers expect a stable and growing Chinese economy to inject more momentum and opportunities into the world economy.

Foreign observers say China's two sessions carry global significance