A veteran of the Flying Tigers and nearly 40 family members met giant pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao in the San Diego Zoo on Saturday, according to Xinhua. The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles invited families from all around the US to view the pandas. Organizers said the visit showed how close the two countries are to each other.
Mel McMullen, a 100-year-old Flying Tigers veteran, termed gigantic pandas “ambassadors of friendship” and said they reminded him of the trust created between American volunteer pilots and Chinese people during World War II, as quoted by Xinhua. Chinese Consul General Guo Shaochun described the meeting of “two great symbols” — the Flying Tigers and the pandas — as a touching moment.
The Flying Tigers, officially the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, flew with Chinese forces against Japan 80 years ago, leaving a distinct mark on wartime cooperation, Xinhua reported.
The San Diego Zoo said Yun Chuan and Xin Bao arrived in August for a 10-year conservation program, opening a new chapter in bilateral collaboration. “Having the pandas here … reminds us of how far we can go as a united front for wildlife and our planet,” said Erika Kohler, the zoo’s senior vice president and executive director, as quoted by Xinhua.
The zoo’s giant panda work dates to 1994, the first joint research program between China and the United States, Xinhua said.
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