Malaysia China Deepen Ties With New Giant Panda Deal

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Xing Xing and Liang Liang were loaned to the Malaysian government in 2014 for 10 years, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China.
PETALING JAYA: A new Malaysia-China agreement for the International Cooperation Project on Giant Panda Conservation will enable Malaysia to receive a new pair of giant pandas for the next 10 years.
Natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the joint endeavour promotes conservation diplomacy, consistent with Malaysia Madani’s values of global collaboration in sustainability initiatives.
“I hope the giant pandas, who are special envoys from China, can further promote understanding and close cooperation between the two countries.
“Malaysia will continue its commitment to working with China for the enhancement of scientific cooperation in the preservation of the iconic giant panda,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Chinese president Xi Jinping yesterday witnessed the exchange of 31 memoranda of understanding and documents covering various sectors of cooperation between the two countries.
They included the new giant panda agreement signed by Peninsular Malaysia wildlife and national parks department director-general Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim and China Wildlife Conservation Association secretary-general Yan Jian.
In the previous agreement signed on June 15, 2012, Malaysia was granted a conservation cooperation project with a pair of giant pandas for 10 years, housed at the Giant Panda Conservation Centre in Zoo Negara.
During this period, Malaysia had successfully seen the birth of three giant panda cubs – which had all been returned to China in compliance with the terms of the agreement.
Nuan Nuan (born Aug 8, 2015), Yi Yi (Jan 14, 2018) and Sheng Yi (May 30, 2021) are the cubs of the giant panda couple Fu Wa and Feng Yi, who were renamed Xing Xing and Liang Liang.
Nuan Nuan was sent back to China in 2017, while Yi Yi and Sheng Yi left Malaysia on Aug 29, 2023.
The panda parents were loaned to the Malaysian government in 2014 for 10 years, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China. - FMT

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