China admires Thailand for taking good care of Pandas

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND, May 12 (TNA) - Chinese State Councilor Yang Jing, who paid a three-day visit to Thailand this week, has praised the Thai panda research team for taking good care of a panda couple at the Chiang Mai Zoo in the Thai North and expressed his hope that the panda couple, which have been China's animal ambassadors to Thailand for over 10 years, will breed more cubs later this year. Accompanied by his entourage, Yang visited the panda couple, Xuang Xuang and Lin Hui, at the Chiang Mai Zoo on May 11, before concluding his three-day trip to Thailand. During his visit to the northern Thai zoo, the Chinese State Councilor expressed his appreciation to the zoo's panda research team, saying that Lin Ping, a female panda cub born to Xuang Xuang and Lin Hui and taken good care by the Thai research team, has already gone through her first mating in China after her contracted stay at Chiang Mai Zoo expired. During their stay in Chiang Mai, the Chinese State Councilor and his entourage were welcomed by Chiang Mai Governor Suriya Prasartbandit and they also visited the Doi Inthanont royally-initiated development project, Jedi Luang Woraviharn Temple, the Chaing Mai One Tambon, One Product (OTOP) Centre and the Royal Ratchapruk National Park. According to the Chinese State Councilor, Chinese business persons have increasingly invested in Chiang Mai and other parts of Thailand, as the Kingdom is considered a centre of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is scheduled to be formed as the ASEAN Community (AC) by the end of this year. (TNA)