谢锋大使在美国华盛顿国家动物园宣布开启新一轮大熊猫国际保护研究合作新闻发布活动上的致辞

Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Xie Feng at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo media event on the new round of cooperation on panda conservation

2024年5月29日）

May 29, 2024

尊敬的史密斯园长，

各位媒体朋友们：

大家早上好！

Director Smith,

Friends from the media,

Good morning! 

去年11月，我们在这里为“美香”“添添”和“小奇迹”送行,美国朋友特别是孩子们依依不舍的情景至今历历在目。不久后，习近平主席在旧金山宣布，中方愿继续同美国开展大熊猫保护合作，增进两国人民友好感情。今天，我很高兴告诉大家，中美人民友谊新使者“宝力”“青宝”将飞越太平洋，落户美国华盛顿国家动物园。

Last November, we saw off Mei Xiang，Tian Tian and Xiao Qi Ji from here. Many American friends, especially children, were reluctant to say goodbye. A few days later, President Xi Jinping announced in San Francisco that China is ready to continue its cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples. Today, I am very glad to share with you some good news: Bao Li and Qing Bao, our new envoys of friendship, will fly over the Pacific and join the big family of the National Zoo.

“宝力”“青宝”都是2021年出生的阿尔法世代。“宝力”同美国华盛顿国家动物园颇有渊源，姥姥姥爷是大熊猫“美香”“添添”，妈妈“宝宝”就在这里出生，他帅气的样子同“泰山”“小奇迹”两个舅舅就像“一个模子里刻出来的”。此刻，他一定很期待从四川老家到华盛顿来，看看家人们曾经生活过的地方和朋友。“青宝”是“世界野生动植物日”的明星代言人，名字寓意“青山绿水中生活的宝贝”，寄托着人们对大自然和大熊猫的喜爱之情。

Both born in 2021, Bao Li and Qing Bao are of Generation Alpha. In fact, Bao Li has a lot of connections with the National Zoo. His grandma and grandpa are Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, and his mom Bao Bao was born here. Bao Li is just as handsome as his uncles Tai Shan and Xiao Qi Ji. I believe he is also excited for the upcoming trip from his hometown in Sichuan to D.C., to see the place where his family lived and get to know the friends here. As for Qing Bao, she is a star. At one year old, she became the ambassador of the ninth World Wildlife Day. Her name, voted by Chinese netizens, literally means “a treasure in green mountains”. From that alone, you can see how much we cherish nature and pandas.

中国是生态文明的践行者。近20年前，习近平主席主政浙江时提出的“绿水青山就是金山银山”理念已经深入人心。作为全球生物多样性大国和最早签署、批准《生物多样性公约》的缔约方之一，中国将生物多样性保护上升为国家战略，努力建设人与自然和谐共生的美丽家园。为保护大熊猫，我们设立了大熊猫国家公园，总面积达2.2万余平方千米，“大熊猫王国”也成为众多珍稀濒危野生动植物生活繁衍的乐土。今天，中国野生大熊猫已增加到近1900只，受威胁程度等级从“濒危”降为“易危”，这得益于一代代中国大熊猫保护工作者常年居于深山、艰苦努力，也与大熊猫国际保护合作密不可分。

China has all along been promoting ecological progress. Nearly 20 years ago, then Zhejiang Party Secretary Xi Jinping said “clear waters and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver”. Today, this has become a consensus in China. As a mega-biodiverse country and one of the first parties to sign and ratify the Convention on Biological Diversity, China has made biodiversity protection a national strategy, and has worked vigorously to build a beautiful homeland where man and nature live in harmony.

To better protect pandas, we have established a Giant Panda National Park, with a total area of more than 2.2 million hectares. “The kingdom of pandas” is now a haven for many other rare and endangered species too. Today, the number of wild giant pandas in China has grown to nearly 1,900, and the species has been downgraded from endangered to vulnerable. This could not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of generations of Chinese panda conservationists deep in the mountains. It is also inseparable from international cooperation on panda conservation.

中国先后与20个国家开展了大熊猫保护合作，美国是最早之一。在双方科研人员共同努力下，成功繁育成活17只大熊猫幼仔,联合攻克一系列技术难题。1972年，第一对大熊猫“玲玲”“兴兴”来到美国，就落户在美国华盛顿国家动物园。双方大熊猫保护合作始于2000年，在大熊猫保护繁育、疾病防控与诊治、公众教育等方面取得积极成果，有力提高了大熊猫保护水平，也增进了中美人民友谊。新一轮合作将重点聚焦大熊猫重大疾病防治、加强大熊猫栖息地和野外种群保护等。我听说动物园的工作人员正在精心改造大熊猫的家，进一步增加大熊猫锻炼、觅食、玩耍和休息的活动空间，让“宝力”和“青宝”在这里度过健康愉快的时光！

So far, China has worked with 20 countries on panda conservation. The United States was among the first. Together, our researchers have successfully bred 17 panda cubs, and solved a number of technical challenges. The National Zoo is an important participant in the process. In 1972, it was exactly here that Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, the first pair of giant pandas coming to the United States, made their home. Since we started the cooperation program with the National Zoo in 2000, positive outcomes have been achieved in panda conservation and breeding, disease prevention and treatment, and public awareness. This has both helped us better protect pandas and boosted our peoples’ friendship. 

The current round of cooperation will focus on prevention and treatment of major diseases, and protection of habitats and wild giant panda populations. I have heard that the team at the National Zoo is renovating the Panda House to give pandas more space to exercise, eat, play and relax, so that Bao Li and Qing Bao will live a healthy and happy life here.

各位朋友，

Dear friends,

大熊猫是中国的国宝，是美国华盛顿国家动物园的明星，也是深受各国人民喜爱的团宠。能24小时观看大熊猫“吃播”“睡播”的熊猫频道，在全球“圈粉”5500万；以大熊猫为原型的北京冬奥会吉祥物“冰墩墩”，广受欢迎、“一墩难求”；疫情期间出生的“小奇迹”，在艰难岁月里给人们带来鼓舞和喜悦。在中美建交45周年之际，双方开启新一轮大熊猫保护合作，未来美国民众会有更多机会见到人见人爱的大熊猫。除“宝力”“青宝”外，“云川”“鑫宝”已被选定赴美国圣迭戈动物园。

Giant pandas are national treasures of China, superstars at the National Zoo, and the favorite of many around the world. The iPanda channel, where you can watch pandas eating and sleeping 24 hours non-stop, has 55 million followers globally. Bing Dwen Dwen, the panda mascot of the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, was so popular that people lined up for hours to buy a toy. Born amid the pandemic, Xiao Qi Ji raised many people up in the tough times.

Now, with this latest round of panda conservation cooperation as we mark the 45th anniversary of our diplomatic ties, American friends will get to see pandas more often. Apart from Bao Li and Qing Bao, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao will head to the San Diego Zoo. 

中美大熊猫保护合作比两国建交还要早。50多年来，“熊猫热”在美经久不衰，陪伴一代代美国孩子快乐成长。最近，一位母亲在我X帖文下留言：“你不知道大熊猫再次落户华盛顿对我们意味着什么，我5岁的孩子简直高兴坏了！”还有加州的熊猫小粉丝给我写信，提出想用美国灰熊换大熊猫。今天，那些当年来动物园看大熊猫的小朋友已经成了爷爷奶奶、爸爸妈妈。他们期待带着孩子们再次走进动物园，诉说、延续历经半个世纪的“熊猫情”。

Even before we established diplomatic relations, our cooperation on panda conservation had already begun. Over the past five decades, pandas have held a special place in the childhood memories of numerous Americans. Today, many of those happy kids have become grandpas, grandmas, dads and moms themselves. And they look forward to taking their kids to the zoo, to tell their stories with pandas and start new ones for their little boys and girls.

When I posted on X in February that China and the National Zoo were in talks on panda conservation cooperation, a lady commented that “You don’t know what this means to us! I have a very happy 5 year old here in D.C.!” Two little panda fans from California wrote me several cute letters, proposing giving China grizzly bears to get pandas. The love for pandas stays unabated.

各位朋友，

Dear friends,

我记得电影《功夫熊猫》中有这样一句台词，“想成为什么样的人，全看你自己的选择。”为两国人民福祉和世界前途命运计，中美应该选择做伙伴，而不是当对手。“熊猫拥抱者”不应该被抹黑攻击。说到“保护主义”，应该保护的是生物多样性，是全人类赖以生存的唯一家园，是一个稳定健康可持续的中美关系，是子孙后代的美好未来。期待大家像关心大熊猫一样关心中美关系，共同努力开创和平与繁荣的明天。

In Kung Fu Panda II, the soothsayer told Bao that it is who you choose to be that makes you who you are. For the wellbeing of both peoples and the future of the world, China and the United States should choose to be partners, not rivals. “Panda-huggers” should not be stigmatized. If there should be any protectionism, then let’s protect biodiversity, protect the only home for the entire humanity, protect a stable, sound and sustainable China-U.S. relationship, and protect a better future for the younger generations. I encourage everyone to care for China-U.S. relations just as you care for pandas, and jointly usher in a peaceful and prosperous future.

最后，预祝“宝力”“青宝”来美一切顺利。谢谢！

I wish Bao Li and Qing Bao safe travel and a wonderful time in the United States! Thank you.