Beloved panda pair returns to China after 13 years in Tokyo

China

Beloved panda pair returns to China after 13 years in Tokyo

2024-09-29 15:59 Last Updated At：16:37

Shin Shin and Ri Ri, a pair of beloved giant panda in Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, headed to China for medical treatment on Sunday after bidding farewell to their Japanese fans.

According to the Ueno Zoo, both pandas, now 19 years old, have developed health issues such as high blood pressure due to their advanced age. In order to give them better care and treatment, they will return to China on a special plane on Sunday.

Regular zoo visitors said they will dearly miss seeing the bears but wish them the best of health.

"I have long been accustomed to having Ri Ri and Shin Shin at Ueno Zoo, and I was really hoping they could stay in Japan. But because of health reasons, they need to return to China for treatment. I hope they can live a long life wherever they are," said a resident in Tokyo.

Long lines of visitors formed in front of the zoo on Saturday morning before opening hours. Some even began lining up outside the zoo the night before, hoping to see the two giant pandas for the last time before they return to China.

"I arrived here before 22:00 yesterday because today is the last day to see Ri Ri and Shin Shin. I really want to see them again, so I rushed here as soon as I finished my work," said a local resident.

"I come from Osaka. After arriving here at noon yesterday, I saw Ri Ri and Shin Shin once and stayed in a nearby hotel. I came here to queue at around 22:30 last night," said another fan of the pandas.

Giant panda Ri Ri, a male, and female Shin Shin, both from southwest China's Sichuan Province, arrived at the Ueno Zoo in February 2011 under a leasing agreement.

They gave birth to celebrity panda Xiang Xiang in 2017, who was returned to China last year, as well as twin cubs Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei in 2021. All three pandas, born and raised at the zoo, attracted crowds of panda lovers from both home and abroad.

Some panda fans said they may go to China in the future to see the pandas again.

"I arrived here at 05:00 and queued up for five hours. I saw Ri Ri and Shin Shin at around 10:00. Although this is the last time I see them in Japan, if the public can view them in China, I will go see them immediately," said a resident.

"I will go to China to see Xiang Xiang in late November. If Ri Ri and Shin Shin can meet the public by then, I hope to see them as a family," said another panda lover.

The Ueno Zoo organized a call for comments from the public on the Internet, and the zoo staff specially made a poster for the pandas, expressing their reluctance to part with them and sending good wishes.

Russian FM denounces West's hegemony, double standards

2024-09-29 16:12 Last Updated At：16:37

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized Western countries' hegemonic behavior and double standards at the general debate of the 79th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York on Saturday, the fifth day of the session.

Lavrov said that Western countries, especially the United States and its allies, have adopted destructive intervention policies in a number of international conflicts, including the invasion of Iraq and the war in Libya, making it hard for the UN to play its role in maintaining international peace and security, and to help developing countries truly reform the global financial system.

When talking about turbulence in the Middle East, the Russian minister said Western countries hold double standards on Israel's use of force and collective punishment of Palestinians. He called for an end to violence against Palestinians, the resumption of humanitarian assistance and respect for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

At a press briefing held on the same day, Lavrov responded to a question on the establishment of the Friend of Peace platform by China, Brazil and other like-minded countries of the Global South to mediate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Lavrov said building such a platform represents the views of the Global South countries. He was looking forward to more details of the proposal. The settlement of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, he said, must address its root cause -- Ukraine's pursuit of NATO membership.

He stressed that full consideration to the principles of the UN Charter should be given, including the balance between national sovereignty and the right of peoples to self-determination. He called on the international community to fully understand the root cause of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and to base it on the principles of the full UN Charter.