Giant panda cousins Xing Yi and Ya Yi turn 11 in Guangzhou

Xing Yi and Ya Yi, the Giant panda cousins in Guangzhou Zoo, celebrated their birthdays together on Tuesday, with local fans lining up to be part of the celebration.

The panda's enclosures were transformed with party decorations, with male panda Xing Yi's enclosure featuring a yacht made of wax gourd and a fake coconut tree, while female panda Ya Yi's pen was decorated with flowers, vegetables, and fruits.

"I specifically asked for leave from work to come to their birthday parties. I came with my best friend, and we have been in line for ages. We arrived at the zoo at 7:30, but only just got in," said a visitor.

For Xing Yi, the party was all about the feast. But Ya Yi took her time. She spent quite a while rolling around in wood shavings before approaching her birthday cake. After knocking down the cake, Ya Yi chose to grab her food and retreat to the lakeside to enjoy it.

"Ya Yi is experiencing pseudo-pregnancy symptoms that are worse than in the past. After playing with bamboo shoots and her cake, she wanted to go back to her den. She took her things and went to the side of the lake, where she loves to play around, because the place makes her feel secure," said Long Qiqian, her keeper.

For pandas, their birthday parties are about more than just food and they benefit from the changes in their everyday environment and routines.

"The panda keepers in Guangzhou are really caring. They made special presents for the pandas, full of Guangdong characteristics. For example, they made bamboo baskets, and they also gave them pineapple," said a visitor.

"You see the yacht and the pattern on the bamboo sieve is also a yacht, matching the real one. That is very thoughtful. Watching the pandas is a good relaxation and can help me relax," said another visitor.

Xing Yi's birthday is on August 23, and Ya Yi's is on August 27. It has become a tradition for the cousins to celebrate their birthdays together. The pandas are turning 11 this year, which is equivalent to about 30 in human years.

Giant panda cousins Xing Yi and Ya Yi turn11 in Guangzhou

China's top political advisor Wang Huning on Friday urged political advisors to intensify research and consultation to offer valuable suggestions for advancing the cause of people with disabilities.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made these remarks while presiding over a biweekly consultation session of the national committee.

Wang underlined that ensuring a happy and fulfilling life for people with disabilities is an essential requirement for promoting Chinese modernization.

He called upon political advisors to focus on the new situations and challenges in advancing the cause for such individuals while urging more targeted and practical proposals based on thorough investigations and research.

Democratic oversight should be strengthened to ensure the effective implementation of policies supporting those with disabilities, Wang noted.

Several national political advisors also made their remarks during the session. They called for efforts to create unobstructed career development pathways for people with disabilities, advance research and application of assistive technologies, and enhance the quality of public services to continuously improve their quality of life.

China's top political advisor stresses boosting services for people with disabilities