On August 21, Smithsonian's National Zoo celebrated giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji's first birthday. Ambassador Qin Gang expressed birthday wishes to Xiao Qi Ji(Little Miracle)via video, and sent him a birthday gift.
Ambassador Qin said, Xiao Qi Ji came into the world last year during the pandemic. At such a difficult time, his arrival and every bit of his growth have given us joy and hope. For us, he is a miracle. Over the past year, with the care and support from both Chinese and Americans, Xiao Qi Ji has grown from a tiny baby cub to an energetic and curious boy. He also made his public debut not long ago. People have been watching and sharing every step of his life journey and got excited about it. He has truly added a splash of color to the exchanges between Chinese and American people. Ambassador Qin wished him good health and happiness and said that there would be more miracles waiting for him.
Xiao Qi Ji |
Ambassador Qin also shared a piece of good news: Xiao Qi Ji’s family in China is growing bigger and bigger. 40 years ago, his family only had 1100 members in the wild, but now there are 1800. They are not "endangered" any more. But they will be protected as well as before.
The cooperation between China and the U.S. on the protection of giant pandas started in 1972. Xiao Qi Ji was born to Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, who arrived in the U.S. in 2000. Xiao Qi Ji's name was chosen from an online vote organized by the National Zoo. This little "miracle" has drawn great attention from the American people. Many panda fans flock to the reopened panda house to see Xiao Qi Ji up close.
Xiao Qi Ji and Mei Xiang |