On August 15, Hong Kong celebrated the birth of its first giant pandas, born locally at Ocean Park. Ying Ying, a 19-year-old panda, gave birth to twins—a male and a female—right before her birthday. This made Ying Ying the oldest panda to have her first babies. Although her pregnancy was only confirmed recently, signs like eating less and hormonal changes have been noticed since late July. Ying Ying and her partner, Le Le, were a gift from China to Hong Kong, representing their close relationship. Giant pandas are important symbols of China and are often used to build international friendships.

The newborn pandas are very delicate, especially the female cub, who has a lower body temperature and weaker cries. Ocean Park officials said that the cubs will need some time to grow stronger and won’t be shown to the public for a few months. Paulo Pong, the park’s chairman, praised the local animal care team and experts from mainland China for their help in the birth. Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, thanked the central government for the pandas, saying it shows Beijing’s support for the city. Hong Kong is also set to receive another pair of pandas from China later this year, continuing the tradition of using these animals to strengthen diplomatic ties.