"Their playful paw-prints, once imprinted on the grounds of the zoo, now served as a poignant reminder of the laughter and happiness they had shared with visitors from all corners of the world."

These are the words the Malaysian national zoo, known as Zoo Negara, posted on Facebook while bidding farewell to two giant panda cubs Yi Yi and Sheng Yi, who are returning to China on Tuesday.

The post is followed by comments saying goodbye and expressing love and good wishes to the pair.

Yi Yi was born in 2018, and Sheng Yi in 2021. They are both daughters of father Xing Xing and mother Liang Liang who just celebrated their 17th birthday in the zoo last week. The couple has been in the zoo since 2014.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, Malaysia's agreement signed with China says that all giant panda cubs born in the zoo must return to China when they turn two.

Malaysia's Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC) said earlier this month the return of the older panda was delayed for a few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zoo officials say that they are discussing extending the lease of Xing Xing and Liang Liang for an additional five years after their cubs' return.

Xing Xing and Liang Liang delivered their first Malaysia-born giant panda cub Nuan Nuan on August 18, 2015. Their second baby, Yi Yi, was born on January 14, 2018, and the third Sheng Yi on May 31, 2021. Nuan Nuan returned to China in November 2017 after it turned two.

Giant pandas have been viewed as a bridge between China and Malaysia to enhance friendship.

When celebrating the 17th birthday of Xing Xing and Liang Liang, Abdul Wahid Abu Salim, NRECC's deputy secretary-general, stressed the diplomatic importance that the pandas have continued to play.

"The giant pandas serve as a special envoy from China, fostering understanding and close cooperation between our nations... From its inception, this project has come to embody the close friendship and collaboration between Malaysia and China. It represents our shared commitment to preserving these magnificent creatures and their habitats for generations to come," he said.

NRECC Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii cited the two cubs' very names: Yi Yi signifying 'friendship' and Sheng Yi signifying 'elevating friendship' in Chinese to reflect on the two countries' relations, saying that the names echo the core values shared by both sides.

As many returning plans were stalled by the pandemic, China is currently witnessing a returning wave of giant pandas this year after the country optimized the epidemic response. 

Female panda Xiang Xiang, and three other giant pandas returned from Japan to China in February. Yuan Meng returned from France in July.

The giant panda pair Yang Guang, a male, and Tian Tian, a female, currently living in Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, will also return to China later this year after their 12-year stay. 

(Cover image: Giant panda cub Sheng Yi playing during its birthday celebrations at Zoo Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 31, 2022. /CFP; with input from Global Times)

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