Panda Maozhu celebrates 12th birthday in Kunming

Giant panda Maozhu spent her 12th birthday on Sunday with a specially-prepared feast at the Yunnan Wildlife Park in Kunming, capital of the southwest province.

The birthday star was treated with a four-tier ice cake made from frozen fruit-vegetable juices, fruit skewers shaped like candied haws, mahjong-tile ice cakes, and Yunnan fruit rice noodles.

After taking a leisurely stroll around the dining table to inspect the treat, Maozhu walked straight to her favorite fresh bamboo shoots and apples, holding them with her front paws to enjoy the food. Surrounding the domain were loving fans and keepers watching.

"We are here to celebrate Maozhu's birthday today. The ice cake for her is so rich, and it's a lot of fun to be here," said Yang Luocheng, a young visitor.

Born on July 26, 2014, Maozhu moved from her birthplace Sichuan Province to the Yunnan Wildlife Zoo in 2016. Her mother was a design prototype for 2008 Beijing Olympic mascot "Jing Jing," and Maozhu is one of the only two giant pandas living in Yunnan. The other is Zhenduo.

"We hope to let more people understand and see giant pandas by this way, while also wishing that Maozhu lives a safe, peaceful, and happy life day after day, year after year here at the Yunnan Wildlife Zoo," said Li Ai, a staff member of the zoo.

President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini arrived in Beijing Monday afternoon to begin his three-day state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

This is President Pellegrini's first visit to China since he took office. According to a previous announcement by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Xi will hold talks with Pellegrini to jointly chart a blueprint for the future development of China-Slovakia relations and exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

Slovakia is China's important cooperation partner in Europe. The two countries have always treated each other with mutual respect and equality, and their traditional friendship has stood the test of time. In recent years, the two sides have achieved fruitful cooperation in fields of economy and trade, people-to-people exchanges, infrastructure, and green development, continuously enhancing the well-being of their people.