BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday he was delighted that a new pair of Chinese giant pandas have recently made their debut before the American public, bringing more joy to the American people.
Guo made the comments at a regular news briefing when asked to comment on the public debut of a pair of Chinese giant pandas sent to the United States after Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the country in September.
On Sept. 24, Xi announced during his visit that a pair of pandas would be sent to Zoo Atlanta and meet with the American people. The pair, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, arrived on Sept. 27. Before meeting the public last week, they spent more than a month in quarantine, adjusting to the new bamboo, new caretakers and new environment.
To ensure the giant pandas' health and safety, a smooth departure from China and their adaptation to the new environment, China and the United States have made full preparations in strict compliance with the requirements and technical standards for international giant panda conservation cooperation, according to Guo.
"We believe the new round of cooperation will further contribute to enhancing the conservation capacity for giant pandas and other endangered species, advancing global biodiversity conservation, and deepening the friendship between the Chinese and American people," he said. ■
