- Born last January after being conceived in mid-October 2017, Yi Yi is the offspring of giant pandas Xing Xing and Liang Liang
- Her parents were sent to Malaysia by China in May 2014 to mark 40 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries
as the two mark 45 years of diplomatic relations this year.
Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Xavier Jayakumar said Yi Yi’s birth was “momentous” as mother panda Liang Liang had conceived her outside the usual mating season.
Their first cub, Yi Yi’s sister Nuan Nuan, was born in August 2015 and sent back to China in late 2017 as part of an agreement that cubs born in captivity must be returned at 24 months old.
Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian, who was also present at the naming ceremony, described the pandas as “friendship emissaries”, adding that Xing Xing and Liang Liang were now the “most productive giant pandas overseas”.
“That fully shows that friendship really multiplies. It also shows the fact that Malaysia is really a very beautiful and very comfortable home for the Chinese giant pandas,” he said.
Malaysia is among the few countries where Chinese giant pandas have successfully procreated, and holds the record for the quickest conception at just 15 months after the original pair were settled in the National Zoo.
China’s use of panda diplomacy – sending giant pandas to other countries as diplomatic gifts – has been criticised by some Malaysians who were perturbed by the high costs of “renting” the animals.
CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon 