Panda pair arrive to VIP welcome in Hong Kong, as Beijing marks 75 years of communist China

CNN
 — 

Hong Kong rolled out the red carpet Thursday to receive two giant pandas gifted by the Chinese government to mark 75 years of Communist Party rule, part of a citywide push by authorities to deepen patriotism.

An An and Ke Ke, both five years old, landed around 11 a.m. at Hong Kong International Airport, where they were greeted by a welcoming ceremony.

But fans hoping to catch a glimpse of them will have to wait until December, as they will spend the next 30 days in quarantine and more time to adapt to the new habitat in the southern Chinese city.

Elite police motorcyclists, who normally escort visiting VIPs, ushered them to their new home across town at Ocean Park, where the pair join four other pandas at the theme park.

An An and Ke Ke arrived from a breeding center in mainland China’s Sichuan province. Staff in the metropolis of Chengdu sprung into action as early as 2 a.m. to ferry the pandas to the airport for the 1,350-kilometer (840-mile) journey, carried in crates with a supply of snacks.

They used forklifts to load the duo onto a truck, as a line of staff bade farewell from the curb, according to footage from Hong Kong’s public broadcaster RTHK.

A panda keeper from Ocean Park has been in Chengdu since July to enable the bears to acclimatize to his scent and voice, the theme park said on its Instagram page, adding that staff had also introduced bamboo from southern China to their diet.

An An, a male weighing 130 kilograms, is “strong, nimble and clever,” while Ke Ke, a female weighing 100 kilograms, is “good at climbing, gentle and cute,” the city’s Chief Executive John Lee told at a press conference on Tuesday.

They bring the total number of pandas in the city to six, joining Le Le and Ying Ying who were gifted to Hong Kong in 2007. Ying Ying made headlines in August by giving birth to twins, making her the oldest known first-time panda mother.

‘Panda diplomacy’

While these animals are not leaving China, their journey does carry an undertone of “panda diplomacy.” Beijing loans pandas to more than 20 countries as envoys of friendship, which is at times seen as a barometer of relations.

China offers Hong Kong a preferential treatment. The two pandas given to the city will get to stay permanently – so will their cubs in the future – unlike their counterparts loaned overseas where countries have to return them at a certain age, according to Paulo Pong Kin-yee, chairman of Ocean Park.

Their arrival also has a political objective, coming as Hong Kong officials drum up enthusiasm for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China on October 1.

“I would like to once again express my sincere gratitude to the central government for its care and support for Hong Kong for gifting two beloved and energetic giant pandas to Hong Kong,” Lee, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, said on Tuesday.

Activists in Hong Kong used to protest for greater democracy on October 1. But crackdowns by city authorities have left opposition figures largely in jail or exile since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020.

Chinese and Hong Kong officials say the law has helped return the financial hub to stability following mass protests in 2019. They have vowed to instill a new culture of Chinese patriotism among Hong Kongers and crack down on what they call “foreign interference.”

The US government, its allies and human rights groups have criticized the national security crackdown for eroding individual freedoms and ending the international business hub’s once outspoken and freewheeling culture.

Ahead of this year’s celebrations, Chinese flags are up in many parts of the city alongside giant billboards hailing the anniversary with preparations underway for a litany of events aimed at boosting patriotism, including a lengthy fireworks show on Tuesday evening.

Kevin Yeung, the city’s minister for culture, sports and tourism, said Wednesday he hoped the pandas’ arrival “can make Hong Kong feel more deeply about the care of the central government.”