Hong Kong marked the birth of its first locally born giant pandas on August 15 at Ocean Park. Ying Ying, a 19-year-old panda, gave birth to twins, a male and a female, just before her birthday. This event made Ying Ying the oldest first-time mother among giant pandas. Her pregnancy was confirmed only a few days prior, although she had shown signs like a decrease in appetite and hormonal changes since late July. Ying Ying and her partner Le Le were gifted to Hong Kong by China, symbolizing strong ties between the regions. Giant pandas are a national symbol in China and are used in the country’s soft-power diplomacy.

The newborn pandas are currently fragile, particularly the female cub, who has a lower body temperature and weaker cries. Ocean Park officials mentioned that the cubs will need time to stabilize and will not be presented to the public for a few months. The park’s chairman, Paulo Pong, commended the efforts of the local animal care team and the assistance from experts in mainland China in ensuring safe delivery. Hong Kong leader John Lee expressed gratitude to the central government for gifting the pandas, which he said demonstrated Beijing’s support for the city. In addition to these newborns, Hong Kong is expected to receive a third pair of pandas from China later this year, continuing the tradition of fostering strong diplomatic relations through these symbolic animals.