On the morning of June 16 local time, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, who is in Australia for a visit, inspected the China-Australia cooperative research on the conservation of giant pandas at the Adelaide Zoo. Adelaide Zoo is the only Australian zoo that keeps giant pandas. Governor of South Australia Frances Adamson, Premier of South Australia Peter Malinauskas, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Minister of Trade and Tourism Don Farrell accompanied Premier Li during the inspection tour.

At the Panda Pavilion in Adelaide Zoo, Li Qiang heard the reports by both Chinese and Australian experts on the cooperative research on giant panda conservation between the two countries as well as the breeding and care of giant pandas in Australia. Li Qiang said that the only pair of giant pandas in the southern hemisphere, Wang Wang and Fu Ni, are now living in the Adelaide Zoo. He is glad to see that though far away from homeland, Wang Wang and Fu Ni have been well looked after and settled down to live a happy life in Australia. They have become envoys of friendship between China and Australia, and a symbol of the profound friendship between the two peoples. This story tells us that so long as both sides are committed to taking good care of China-Australia cooperative relations, they can transcend the vast distance of the Pacific Ocean and any differences between us to deliver common progress and win-win outcomes.

Li Qiang said that the Chinese government has taken a host of measures over the years to conserve giant pandas and achieved remarkable progress in a positive contribution to the global endeavor to protect bio-diversity and endangered animals. China is ready to continue with the cooperative research with Australia on the conservation of giant pandas, and hopes that Australia will continue to be an amicable home for giant pandas.

Local primary school students sang a panda-themed song for Premier Li in Chinese, and the premier had a cordial chat with the kids. Li Qiang said that they are welcome to visit China, to see the birthplace and habitat of giant pandas, appreciate China’s beautiful landscape and the Chinese culture, and turn themselves into little envoys of friendship between China and Australia.

Wu Zhenglong participated in the above event.