New giant panda couple makes public debut in Malaysia

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

New giant panda couple makes public debut in Malaysia

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday presided over a State Council executive meeting that studied work on building a unified national market and reviewed and approved a plan for the development of a modern emergency response system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Noting that building a unified national market is essential to advancing high-quality development, the meeting called for deepening institutional frameworks in areas such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition, social credit and market exit mechanisms.

The meeting also urged efforts to advance high-standard connectivity of market infrastructure to facilitate smooth economic circulation and effectively reduce logistics costs across society.

Emergency management is critical to protecting people's lives and property, the meeting said. It called for accelerating the development of a modern emergency response system, deepening reform and innovation in emergency management, and improving coordinated response mechanisms.

Efforts should be made to strengthen risk prevention at the source, enhance monitoring, forecasting and early warning, and accelerate a shift in governance toward proactive prevention, according to the meeting.

A draft revision of the Law on the People's Bank of China was also discussed and approved in principle at the meeting, which decided to submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation.

Chinese premier chairs State Council executive meeting