After a 20-year absence, two giant pandas arrived in San Diego on Thursday, marking the start of a 10-year conservation project between China and the United States.
The giant pandas will reside at the renowned San Diego Zoo, one of America's largest and most popular conservation centers. This historic journey has sparked a wave of excitement among San Diego residents and visitors alike, many eager to catch a glimpse of these beloved bears.
"We've seen pandas before when they originally came to San Diego. We live in San Diego and we have annual passes, so we're excited for them to come back," said Melina Amaguin, one of the visitors.
Although the adorable bears are eagerly anticipated by the public, they will undergo a minimum 30-day quarantine period to ensure they adapt to their new environment.
Headlining the zoo's future attractions are the three-year-old female Xin Bao and the four-year-old male Yun Chuan, who has a special connection to San Diego, as his mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at this same zoo back in 2007.
While the primary objective of the project is the conservation of pandas, it also holds significant educational value. The presence of these iconic creatures in the U.S. is expected to contribute to the local economy and promote awareness about wildlife conservation.
Once considered endangered species, pandas are endemic to China, and their placement in foreign zoos goes beyond the conservation efforts. It is also a symbol of friendship. Experts say the move signals the resumption of panda diplomacy, which began after U.S. President Richard Nixon's historic visit to Beijing in 1972.
"This is a real signal, along with the efforts to increase tourism, to increase student exchanges. All of these are vital signals from China to the world that they favor engagement, that the Chinese leadership and that the Chinese people are very much in favor of fostering these direct ties," said Clayton Dube, director of U.S.-China Institute of the University of Southern California (USC).
The fluffy envoys coming to San Diego are only the first of several that are expected to arrive in a number of U.S. cities, including Washington D.C. later this year.
Giant pandas return to US after two decades, thrill San Diego visitors
A delegation from the Taliban-led Afghan government is currently in Doha to attend the third round of UN-convened talks on Afghanistan scheduled for Sunday to Monday, hoping to take it as an opportunity to foster understanding between their government and the wider international community.
Key issues on the meeting's agenda include frozen Afghan assets and the Taliban's counter-narcotics policies.
Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesperson for the caretaker government, led a six-member delegation to the meeting. Before heading to Doha, he briefed the media on Saturday about his government's approach toward the gathering.
Answering a question from China Global Television Network (CGTN), Mujahid outlined the state of his country's ties with the rest of the world, including some Western countries.
"We don't have problems with all of the world, but we want to reach a solution and maintain mutual understanding with some countries that have been pursuing obsessive policies toward Afghanistan. Afghanistan has faced financial challenges, and its business affairs have been impacted by the sanctions that have been imposed. This needs to be addressed," he said.
A group of Afghan activists from diverse backgrounds, mostly based in the country, wrote an open letter on Sunday to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Envoys for Afghanistan, and the Interim Taliban Administration.
The letter addresses key concerns regarding Afghanistan's current socio-economic and political landscape under the Taliban-led government. It highlights severe economic challenges, exacerbated by international actions such as funding cuts and banking restrictions, alongside internal Taliban policies hindering the economic participation of women and educational opportunities for girls.
The activists urge participants of the third Doha meeting to increase aid to the Afghan people, pave the way for unfreezing the Afghanistan Central Bank's assets, and assist Afghan businesses and women.
"I think Afghanistan really deserves right now a chance to be reconnected to the world, to be reintegrated into the international community's framework and to be able to do business with the rest of the world just like any other country. And I think it's an absolute right of the Afghan people, regardless of any other political agendas or issues that we have in Afghanistan," said Muhammad Sulaiman Bin Shah, founder and CEO of Catalysts Afghanistan.
Kabul residents urge both the Taliban and international community to pay attention to the needs of the Afghan people and avoid confusing humanitarian with political issues.
"As we all know, the political and economic situation of Afghanistan is not leading to progress due to Afghanistan's frozen assets. I urge the international community to find a solution at this meeting, and unfreeze Afghan money," said Mushtaba Atayi, a Kabul resident.
"We want the Taliban-led government to reopen schools and universities for sisters, based on Islamic law, and provide the educational environment for them. That would be a very good step," another resident Asimullah Hamdard said.
Delegation of Afghan gov't attends Doha meeting of special envoys
