At the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP) in southwest China's Sichuan province, adorable fluffy panda cubs are living life to the fullest, as captured in the newly released iPanda videos.
A heartwarming video captured on Jan 6 at the Ya'an Base of the CCRCGP shows two adorable fluffy panda cubs, born in 2023 to mother panda Ran Ran, snuggled up together and engaging in playful antics. Adding to their charm is the fact that their mother, Ran Ran, is a part of the panda reintroduction program and had mated with a wild panda, making these cubs a unique and significant addition to the conservation efforts.
The previous day, an adorable giant panda cub was captured being spoiled at the CCRCGP's Dujiangyan Base, with the chubby cub seen laying on its back while enjoying a succession of snacks from its caretaker.
The footage shows the young panda in a blissful state of contentment as it lounges on the ground while holding a steamed bun in its left hand, a carrot in its right hand, and hooking a bamboo shoot with its foot.
The cub is one of a pair of twins born to a mother panda named Pan Wang, who was also released into the wild and mated with a wild panda.
The CCRCGP is a world-leading institution for the breeding and conservation of one of China's national treasures. The center has also established a global platform for promoting international cooperation and exchanges involving 18 zoos from 16 countries and regions, as well as 39 domestic animal breeding institutions and more than 10 scientific research institutes.
Adorable panda cubs thrive in Sichuan
South Korean experts have warned that the United States' new tougher foreign policy under President Donald Trump poses a threat to the East Asian country's economy which has already suffered a slowdown in growth amid an ongoing political crisis.
Trump is expected to take a hard line on trade and diplomacy with South Korea. He wants the Asian partner to pay more for the stationing of over 28,000 U.S. troops in the country, while their trilateral security relationship with Japan is also likely to take a back seat under the newly inaugurated president.
Trump's tariff-driven approach could also see South Korea diversify its markets away from the U.S. With an export-driven economy, according to experts.
"Trump seems to be backing off on some of his remarks, but I think it is fairly definite that he will impose tariffs on a wide range of products as he has emphasized again and again that he has faith in the power of tariffs which virtually no economist shares," said Yang Jun-sok, a professor of economics at Catholic University of Korea.
There is also concern that Trump's policies will be inflationary, making it hard for countries like South Korea to cut key lending rates, along with an expectation that Trump's second term will cause a global slowdown and add to the pain of South Korea's already sluggish economy.
Another big concern for South Korea is security, some experts hold that Trump made no progress with de-nuclearization on the peninsula during his first term. Until last month, the U.S. had been expected to green-light South Korea's request to lift restrictions on reprocessing nuclear materials.
"I don't think there's a reasonable chance for the Trump administration to actually allow South Korea to develop its own nuclear weapons because of the martial law declaration and the political chaos that ensued after the declaration," said Bong Young-shik, a research fellow at Yonsei University.
The expert also noted that the political paralysis in South Korea caused by martial law since early December and the arrest of President Yoon Suk-yeol pose problems for Trump.
"The main challenge must be the absence of reliable and responsible leadership," Bong added.
New U.S. policy finds Seoul struggling with political turmoil, and follows extended national medical strikes. That's also the biggest concern in South Korea. Experts have warned that the political uncertainty is adding to market jitters.
"The political turmoil comes on top of that risk and it's making the capital markets, the financial markets very nervous, it's also beginning to make the export market a bit nervous as well," said Yang.
Trump's tougher foreign policy threatens South Korea's economy: experts