By Li Huizi, Zhang Jianhua

ADELAIDE, Australia, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A new pair of giant pandas, and the only ones in the Southern Hemisphere, made debut on Tuesday in Adelaide, capital of South Australia (SA), following their arrival from China last month.

The SA government held an affectionate welcoming ceremony for the public to meet the black-and-white duo in the Adelaide Zoo, attended by Australian panda-fans, wildlife-lovers, international tourists, conservationists, officials and dignitaries from both China and Australia a week ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Going through their quarantine period, the two giant pandas, four-year-old male Xingqiu and three-year-old female Yilan, are settling in well at the bamboo forest in Adelaide, about 7,500 km from their hometown --southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to the zoo.

Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said the Chinese values of harmony, inclusiveness and openness could be seen in pandas, which reflect the aspirations of the Chinese and Australian peoples for friendship and exchanges, and symbolize the profound friendship between the peoples.

Amity between the people holds the key to sound state-to-state relations, Xiao said, adding he hopes the two adorable pandas will live happily here, grow their family, and become new ambassadors to carry forward the friendship between the two peoples.

The pandas will spend the next 10 years at Adelaide Zoo, replacing the previous pair Wangwang and Funi, who returned to China in November 2024 after 15 years in Australia, drawing more than 5 million visitors.

Wangwang and Funi brought joy to the Australian people and made significant contributions to enhancing panda conservation research and fostering closer people-to-people ties between China and Australia, Xiao said, adding the new phase of panda conservation research cooperation will further enhance mutual understanding and inject new vitality into the bilateral exchanges and cooperation.

MAGNIFICENT MOMENT, ACHIEVEMENT

Citing the queues around the block -- people desperate to get in to witness the pandas, Premier of SA Peter Malinauskas said, "It was a magnificent moment because it was very much a symbol, not just of the pandas and their beauty, but in many ways a representation of the importance of the relationship between Australia and China."

"South Australia being home to the only two giant pandas in the southern hemisphere is an act of generosity on behalf of China," Malinauskas said, hailing "a magnificent achievement" of pandas going off the endangered list to the threatened species list as a result of "the amazing work from the Chinese government in conjunction with the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA)."

He said they keenly anticipate watching the relationship of four-year-old male Xingqiu and three-year-old female Yilan unfold over the next few years, as well as the recent stabilization of the relationship between Australia and China, which continues to deliver for the two peoples respectively.

40 YEARS OF LINK

At the ceremony, Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell recalled the long connection between the two countries resulting from pandas about 40 years ago, with two pandas touring to Australia after the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke making the first link when he went to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, in 1986.

Regarding tourism, Farrell said these beautiful young pandas provide an opportunity to not only sell Australia to lots of international visitors who will want to come here to see the pandas, "but of course it's just fantastic for South Australia."

CWCA Secretary-General Yan Jian told the ceremony protecting giant pandas is not only related to China's natural ecology, but also the common responsibility of all mankind, as giant panda is both a national treasure of China and an important part of global biodiversity.

As a cultural symbol of China, the giant panda carries the friendship of the Chinese people and is an important envoy to promote friendly exchanges between China and other countries, Yan said.

The CWCA and the Adelaide Zoo conducted the first stage of giant panda conservation and research cooperation between 2009 and 2024 when the previous pair Wangwang and Funi lived in the zoo, Yan said, adding the two sides have achieved good results in scientific research, technical exchanges and public education of endangered species.

The two sides also carried out a number of scientific research in behavioral science, disease prevention and control, and popularized science in various forms, and greatly improved the coverage of public education, he said, adding it has played a positive role in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and Australian peoples.

Director of Adelaide Zoo Phil Ainsley said Wangwang and Funi who captured the hearts and the imagination of people around Australia for the past 15 years, had attracted more than 5.5 million visitors and over 500,000 school children.

The conservation status of the giant panda being improved from endangered to vulnerable is celebrated as a "remarkable conservation effort," said Ainsley who traveled with a team from Adelaide Zoo in December to visit and spend time with Xingqiu and Yilan, learning about them with the panda experts at the Dujiangyan Panda Base in Sichuan before the pair's arrival in Australia on Dec. 15, 2024. Enditem

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