Wherever they go, friendship is ther
From the Netherlands to Finland and Denmark, the arrival of Chinese giant pandas in Europe is always a great cause for celebration. What’s more, these furry friendship ambassadors have strengthened China’s relations with these countries as well as the Chinese people’s friendship with the locals.
The pandas’ stay in their foreign homes also promotes research cooperation that could benefit global environmental and animal protection.
Wearing panda hats and holding panda toys, a group of Danish elementary school pupils impatiently waited outside the Copenhagen Zoo Panda House, just after Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth officially opened it to the public on April 11.
None of the kids had ever seen a real panda, and they were curious to know everything about the two who arrived from China a week ago. How much bamboo does a panda eat? How long do they sleep each day?
“It’s hard to express my feelings. We are so happy that the Chinese government gave us these two giant pandas, to Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark and to the Danish people. We are so proud and happy to have the two pandas here,” said Jorgen Horwitz, chairman of the Board of Copenhagen Zoo.
“Mao Sun and Xing
Er (the two pandas) seemed to have fit in very well, actually, so we are very lucky,” he said, promising: “We will take very good care of them here. I think, culturally, it’s very good to have them here in Denmark. Huge thanks to China for giving us the honor.”
Mikkel Stelvig, a zoologist at Copenhagen Zoo, said the two “seem to be adapting pretty well, relaxed and curious, which is a good sign. They do explore their surroundings and the outside as well.”
“The male is a bit more sort of bold in his way of doing things, and the female is a bit more shy in the way she approaches, she requires a bit more time to familiarize herself with the environment,” he said.
Panda fairy tale
Jorgen Nielsen, CEO of Copenhagen Zoo, said much had been done for what he called “one of the biggest moments in the zoo’s 160-year history.”
The zoo has built a state-of-theart panda facility, sent animal keepers, zoologists and veterinarians on study trips to China, collaborated closely with Chinese specialists, and planted bamboo for them. People have lined up to attend panda-themed shows, panda protection exhibitions, a children’s musical called “Panda Fairy Tale” and the China-Denmark Giant Panda Concert.
The musical, the world’s first giant panda-themed children’s musical in English, is based on Xing Er and Mao Sun traveling to Denmark and has a mixed Chinese and Danish feel. It was presented by children from both China and Denmark, and attracted large audiences.
The two pandas arrived at Copenhagen Airport on April 4 and were taken to Copenhagen Zoo later that day.
Queen Margrethe II officially opened the Panda House on April 10.
“It’s an honor to welcome Mao Sun and Xing Er to Denmark. They are symbols of the ties between Denmark and China, and we think that these two pandas will strengthen the relationship between Denmark and China, based on respect, dignity and friendship,” Dansh Culture Minister Mette Bock said.
“We will do our utmost to take good care of these two remarkable animals, and to provide them with the best possible conditions to flourish,” she added.
Deng Ying, Chinese ambassador to Denmark, said at the ceremony: “The comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Denmark has continued to deepen and is moving toward a higher level in the new decade.”
“The arrival of two giant pandas in Denmark is the best interpretation of the long-standing friendship between China and Denmark. And I believe the friendship between the two peoples will strengthen even further,” she added.
In an interview earlier, Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said: “The giant pandas are a symbol of the close friendship between China and Denmark.”
“I am very pleased that China will give the Danish people the possibility to meet these cute animals,” he said.
China and Denmark agreed on a joint program on giant panda research during Queen Margrethe II’s state visit to China in 2014.
The agreement was signed when Rasmussen visited China in 2017.
Denmark was among the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and the friendship between the two cou a long way.
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