Giant pandas named Asia Game Changers

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China's favorite animal, the giant pandas, was presented with the Asia Game Changer Awards by Asia Society for their contributions to promoting friendship between different countries and boosting environmental protection worldwide.

Tom Nagorski, executive vice president of the Asia Society, delivers a speech at the ceremony. /Chinanews Photo

Amid a ceremony held Saturday at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Tom Nagorski, executive vice president of the Asia Society, said, China’s cooperation with other countries in breeding giant pandas, which are a national treasure of China as well as epitome of peace and friendship, has helped facilitate a closer tie between the countries.

Huaxi Metropolis Daily Photo

The award was also presented to the adorable animals in commemoration of the 45 years of China-US Panda Diplomacy, which started in 1972 when Beijing donated the panda pair Ling Ling and Xing Xing to Washington soon after then US President Richard Nixon’s visit to China.

Huaxi Metropolis Daily Photo

36 panda cubs born earlier in 2017 made their public debut at Wolong Nature Reserve and Ya'an Bifengxia Gorge Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) on October 13. / ipanda Photo

According to Tan Hongming, an official of the research base, the award was a recognition of the accomplishments made by China in protecting the species and an encouragement of more such efforts from all related institutes and organizations.

Asia Game Changer Awards were established in 2014 by Asia Society, which is a US-based non-profit organization with an aim to forge closer ties between Asia and the West through collaborations in arts, education, and business.

Jack Ma is one of the recipients of the Asian Game Changer Awards in 2014. /Photo from the official website of Asian Society

Jack Ma, China’s most well-known business leader, founder of Alibaba,and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun were both among honorees of the awards in 2014 and 2015 respectively for “making a transformative and positive difference for the future of Asia and the world.”

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