Panda couple receive VIP welcome in Hong Kong as Beijing marks 75 years of communist China

() – Hong Kong will roll out the red carpet on Thursday to welcome two giant pandas donated by the Chinese government to commemorate 75 years of Communist Party rule, as part of a campaign by the authorities to foster patriotism throughout the city.

An An and Ke Ke, both five years old, are expected to land shortly after noon at Hong Kong International Airport, where they will be greeted with a welcoming ceremony.

But fans hoping to see them will have to wait at least a month as they will spend the next 30 days in quarantine in the southern Chinese city.

Elite police motorcyclists, who normally escort visiting VIPs, will reportedly drive them to their new home across town at Ocean Park, where they will join four other pandas from the theme park.

An An and Ke Ke came from a breeding centre in China’s Sichuan province. Staff from Chengdu got the pandas to the airport at 2am and set off on the 1,350km journey, transported in boxes with a supply of snacks.

Forklifts were used to load the duo onto a truck as a line of employees waved them off from the sidewalk, according to footage from Hong Kong’s public broadcaster RTHK.

A panda keeper at Ocean Park has been in Chengdu since July to acclimatise the bears to their scent and voice, the theme park said on its Instagram page, adding that staff had also introduced bamboo from southern China into their diet.

An An, a 130-kilogram male, is “strong, agile and intelligent,” while Ke Ke, a 100-kilogram female, is “a good climber, kind and gentle,” city chief executive John Lee told a news conference Tuesday.

They bring the total number of pandas in the city to six, joining Le Le and Ying Ying, who were gifted to Hong Kong in 2007. Ying Ying made headlines in August when she gave birth to twins, making her the oldest known first-time panda mother.

Panda Diplomacy

Although the animals are not leaving China, their journey has a hint of “panda diplomacy.” Beijing lends pandas to more than 20 countries as envoys of friendship, which is sometimes seen as a barometer of relations.

Similarly, the arrival of An An and Ke Ke in Hong Kong has a political purpose, as it comes at a time when Hong Kong authorities are whipping up enthusiasm for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China on October 1.

“I would like to once again express my sincere gratitude to the central government for its care and support for Hong Kong, for gifting Hong Kong with two beloved and energetic giant pandas,” Lee said on Tuesday.

Hong Kong activists used to protest for greater democracy on October 1. However, a crackdown by the city’s authorities has left opposition figures in jail or in exile since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020.

Chinese and Hong Kong officials say the law helped restore stability to the financial hub after mass protests in 2019. They have vowed to instill a new culture of Chinese patriotism among Hong Kongers and crack down on what they call “foreign interference.”

The U.S. government, its allies and human rights groups have criticized the national security crackdown for eroding individual liberties and undermining the free-spirited culture of the once international business hub.

Ahead of this year’s celebrations, Chinese flags are raised in many parts of the city, along with giant banners celebrating the anniversary, and preparations are underway for a series of events aimed at fostering patriotism, including a lengthy fireworks display on Tuesday night.

Kevin Yeung, the city’s minister for culture, sports and tourism, said Wednesday he hoped the pandas’ arrival “can make Hong Kong feel more deeply the care of the central government.”