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☆ Olivia Munn and John Mulaney announce birth of their second child
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Rebecca Cohen Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Olivia Munn and John Mulaney announced the birth of their second child together, a daughter. Méi June Mulaney was born on Sept. 14, Munn wrote on Instagram Sunday. "I had so many profound emotions about not being able to carry my daughter," Munn wrote on Instagram Sunday. Munn said she is "proud of my little plum, my little dragon, for making the journey to be with us." Munn and Mulaney have one other child together, a son named Malcom.

Persons: Olivia Munn, John Mulaney, Méi, Mulaney, Munn, " Munn, Malcom

☆ John Mulaney and Olivia Munn welcome baby girl
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Olivia Munn and John Mulaney are now parents of two. On Sunday, the couple announced on Instagram that they welcomed a daughter named Méi June Mulaney on September 14. “My heart has exploded,” Munn wrote, adding that their daughter’s name means “plum” in Chinese. Mulaney and Munn wed in July and previously welcomed their son, Malcom, in 2021. Munn shared that she and Mulaney welcomed their daughter via surrogate.

Persons: Olivia Munn, John Mulaney, Méi, Mulaney, ” Munn, Munn, Malcom, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Vogue

☆ Olympic moment of the day: Facing giants, diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix shows what sports – and life – are all about
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Patrick Sung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Olympic Games are perhaps the biggest stage of them all for this theatre of feeling. Great Britain’s Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix had entered Tuesday’s individual 10m platform with a bronze in the 10m synchronized platform with partner Lois Toulson. Fred Sirieix, who has appeared on a number of well-known shows in the UK throughout his career, was at the Aquatics Centre watching Spendolini-Sirieix dive over the last few days. Spendolini-Sirieix showed us that sport isn't just about medals, records and wins. We’re here to see you.’ And at the end of the day, that’s all I can ask for,” Spendolini-Sirieix said.

Persons: Andrea Spendolini, Sirieix, Lois Toulson, –, Fred Sirieix, China’s Quan Hongchan, Chen Yuxi, Manan Vatsyayana, Quan –, Chen, Quan, old’s, I’m, ”, I’ve, “, It’s, ‘ We’ve Organizations: CNN, Olympic, Paris, Aquatics, Games, BBC, Aquatics Centre, Getty, British, Team GB, Olympic Games, Lifeline Locations: Doha, AFP, Chinese, Tokyo

☆ Taiwan is making a TV show about a Chinese invasion. And it’s hitting close to home
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-04 | by ( Nectar Gan | Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The 17-minute trailer hit close to home in Taiwan, making headlines in local media and garnering more than a million views on YouTube. But Hsin-mei Cheng, the showrunner of “Zero Day,” worried that her fellow Taiwan citizens have grown “too numb” to the danger of an impending conflict. Hsin-mei Cheng, the showrunner of "Zero Day," says she hopes the show can serve as a wakeup call to the people of Taiwan. Cheng also assembled a team of 10 directors, each responsible for an episode in “Zero Day” that tells an independent story. In “Zero Day,” Chinese infiltration and cognitive warfare takes on many forms – from the lure of money and power to the threat of violence.

Persons: ”, China’s, Xi Jinping, Cheng, “, Mei Cheng, Nancy Pelosi’s, Robert Tsao, Lo Ging, Howard Yu, ” Cheng, Lo, Chapman, Hong Kong’s, –, livestreaming, influencers, Beijing’s, Howard Yu Su Tzu, yun, Lee Yen, China – Organizations: Taipei CNN, China’s People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Communist Party, YouTube, CNN, Presidential, Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, Netflix, Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Kuomintang Locations: Hong Kong, Taipei, Taiwan, dramatize, China, Ukraine, Beijing, Kinmen

☆ Xi wants the world to know China's military is totally loyal despite the purges
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's military is loyal and will faithfully execute the policies set down by the Communist Party. In June, Chinese Leader Xi Jinping reminded the Central Military Commission — the country's top political-military body — that the military reports to the Communist Party. "Xi stressed that political work is always the lifeline of the country's military. "Xi stresses PLA's political loyalty at crucial meeting held in old revolutionary base," read the Global Times headline. Beyond military corruption, Xi also is concerned about what he sees as decadence in Chinese society — especially among young people — which is undermining Chinese military power.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, Mei, he'd, he's, Stalin, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Communist Party, Central Military Commission, Global Times, Business, Party, Times, People's Liberation Army, PLA, RAND Corp, Taiwan, PLA Rocket Force, CMC, Soviet Union, Political, Red Army, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: China, US, China —, Germany, Soviet Union, Forbes

☆ China has launched new drills encircling Taiwan. Why now?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Tensions are once again ratcheting up in the Taiwan Strait, with China launching military drills encircling Taiwan just days after the democracy swore in a new leader long loathed by Beijing. The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said it launched joint military drills involving the army, navy, air force and rocket force in areas around Taiwan early Thursday morning. The drills are being conducted in the Taiwan Strait – a narrow body of water separating the self-ruling island with mainland China – as well as north, south and east of Taiwan. The Chinese guided missile frigate Nantong, one of the vessels in the series of military drills around Taiwan. The defeated Nationalist Party fled to Taiwan, moving the seat of their Republic of China (ROC) government from the mainland to Taipei.

Persons: ”, Lai Ching, China’s, Xi Jinping, Li Xi, Lai, Wu Mei, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Tsai Ing, Tsai –, Mike Gallagher Organizations: CNN, Communist Party, Eastern Theater Command, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, People's Liberation Army, Weibo, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Nationalist Party, US, Communist, Beijing, Tuesday Locations: Taiwan, China, Beijing, Kinmen, Taipei, People’s Republic of China, Republic of China, Xi, Washington

☆ Healthy diets with only 10% ultraprocessed foods may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

All three diets are plant-based, focused on consuming more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds while limiting sugar, red meat and ultraprocessed foods. Eating more ultraprocessed foods such as hot dogs is linked to a higher risk of stroke and cognitive decline, according to a new study. What is it about ultraprocessed foods that may allow them to sabotage efforts to follow a healthy diet? Growing dangers of ultraprocessed foodsStudies on the dangers of eating ultraprocessed foods are piling up. That 10% increase was considered “baseline,” and adding even more ultraprocessed foods might increase the risk, experts say.

Persons: ”, Andrew Freeman, ’ ”, Dr, W, Taylor Kimberly, Kimberly, Peipei Gao, Zhendong Mei, Mei, Gao, Harvard T.H, ’ ” Freeman Organizations: CNN, Jewish Health, Whites, Blacks, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, Harvard, of Public Health Locations: Denver, Massachusetts, Boston, Chan

☆ China is trying to connect Southeast Asia by high-speed rail. Here’s how that’s going
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Imagine jumping on a train in southwestern China, traveling some 2,000 miles and arriving in Singapore – less than 30 hours later. Southeast Asia is the “obvious” choice because of its “proximity to China,” Bowerman adds. “Beijing, I think, ultimately wants to see Southeast Asian countries within its sphere of geopolitical influence. A staff member waits for passengers to board the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train during a week-long public trial phase at the Halim station in Jakarta on September 17, 2023. “In the example of a high-speed railway line between Malaysia and Singapore, Singapore would likely have just one stop – Malaysia would have more,” Wong told CNN.

Persons: China’s, Gary Bowerman, ” Bowerman, ”, Pon Souvannaseng, Peerapon Boonyakiat, Bowerman, Pan Wenbo, Pan, Mei Wei, Wei, “ I’m, Xi Jinping’s, Souvannaseng, Hong Kong –, Hong Kong’s, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Wong Muh Rong, ” Wong Organizations: CNN, Initiative, China Railway, Reuters, East Japan Railway Co, Malaysian, Bentley University, of, Communist Party, Laos Railway, Laos Railway cumulatively, Orient Express, Getty Locations: China, Singapore, Asia, Laos, Kunming, Vientiane –, Indonesia, Jakarta, Bandung, West Java, Thailand, Bangkok, Thai, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Southeast Asia, “ China, Peerapon, Cities, Penang, Malacca, Phuket Old Town, Beijing, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Wat, Siem Reap, ”, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Halim, AFP, “

☆ As fears of war brew, China and Taiwan are still joining forces to rescue lost fishermen, Taipei says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Taiwan and China authorities are still working together on at least one front: coast guard rescue. Taiwan's coast guard has helped China with 17 rescues in the last three years, the agency's chief said. Both coast guards launched a joint operation to search for Chinese fishermen on Thursday. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Chou Mei-wu, the director-general of Taiwan's coast guard, made the comment in parliament on the same day that his agency announced one such joint effort.

Persons: —, Chou Mei Organizations: Service Locations: Taiwan, China

☆ SXSW artists and speakers pull out of festival in protest of military and defense industry sponsorships
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe | Amanda Jackson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The boycotting artists as of Tuesday were mainly small bands and indie performers, and have largely announced their decisions on social media. I refuse to be complicit in this and withdraw my art and labor in protest,” Williams said in an Instagram post. “The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today. The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world,” the string of SXSW posts reads. The festival continues to “support human rights for all,” SXSW’s posts read.

Persons: Ella Williams, ”, ’, ” Williams, Yaya Bey, Mei Semones, Greg Abbott, Don’t, don’t, ” Abbott, Selena Gomez, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Mark Cuban Organizations: CNN, Southwest, Hamas, US Army, Singer, . Texas Gov, U.S, SXSW, Austin for Palestine Coalition, United Musicians, Allied Workers Locations: Austin , Texas, Israel, Gaza, South, Austin, ., Texas

☆ I got Botox because I hated my forehead lines. I regretted it, and was glad when the effects wore off.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I got Botox because I hated my forehead lines. I was excited when my Botox started wearing offAfter about a month, the Botox started to gently lose its grip. While the lines didn’t stick, I could move my face as freely as I did before. I lost a part of my face I didn’t know I lovedNow, I’m at the end point of my Botox treatment. I’m relieved that I didn’t love Botox, and that I will always feel ambivalent about it.

Persons: —, “, Um, Nathan Fielder, I’ve, Julia Pugachevsky, Alison Mei, I’m, I’ll Organizations: Service Locations: New York

☆ Taiwan Says Trade Not Being Much Affected by Red Sea Disruptions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwanese companies are not being affected much by disruptions to the key shipping lane of the Red Sea as it has coincided with the traditional low season in demand for exporters, Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said on Monday. Some shipping companies have suspended transit along the Red Sea route to avoid being attacked by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi group, which has launched waves of exploding drones and missiles at vessels since November in response to Israel's military operations in Gaza. The Houthi attacks have primarily targeted container vessels moving through the Red Sea. Taiwanese container shipping line Evergreen Marine said in December that ships scheduled to pass through the Red Sea would be rerouted around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Wang said her ministry had spoken with 14 industry groups as well as companies to gauge the impact of the Red Sea disruptions.

Persons: Wang Mei, Good Hope, Wang, Ben Blanchard, Sonali Paul Organizations: Evergreen Locations: TAIPEI, Gaza, Africa's, Good, Taipei, Israel, Europe, Ukraine, Taiwan

☆ Licensing to Netflix has become a big business for studios again, but some insiders worry it could backfire
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Lucia Moses | James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewCash-hungry entertainment studios are back in the content licensing game, sending their valuable shows like HBO's "Sex and the City" and Disney's "Grey's Anatomy" back to Netflix. Licensing has historically been a mainstay of entertainment companies, except for a brief period when many hoarded content while they built up their own streaming services. "It's the future," said Dan Cohen, the chief content licensing officer at Paramount. Netflix and other entertainment companies that sought full ownership of content as they built up their streaming services are now becoming more agnostic about it. But, for now, the major entertainment companies don't have much of a choice.

Persons: —, Mike Pears, Pears, Jessica Reif Ehrlich, Dan Cohen, Reif Ehrlich, Mitch Metcalf, Metcalf, Meeka Bondy, Perkins, John Hodulik, Tim Nollen, Netflix's, it's, Nollen Organizations: Service, Netflix, Business, AMC, Apple, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount, Bank of America, ABC, NBC, Metcalf Entertainment Intelligence, UBS, CBS, Macquarie, Hulu

☆ US officials to visit Taiwan to explain chip curbs, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua speaks during an interview with Reuters in Taipei, Taiwan, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Dec 4 (Reuters) - U.S. officials plan to visit Taiwan to explain to companies details of new curbs, primarily aimed at China, on advanced chip exports, the island's economy minister said on Monday. Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said some details of the extremely long new U.S. rules needed explanation. Given the concentration of chip making in Taiwan it was "advantageous" for Taiwanese companies to hear the details of the new controls from the U.S. officials, Wang said. Taiwan's official Central News Agency said the U.S. officials, who it did not name, would visit Taiwan next month and hold events in the chip hubs of Hsinchu and Tainan.

Persons: Wang Mei, Ann Wang, Biden, chipmaker TSMC, Wang, Ben Blanchard, Jeanny, Bernadette Baum, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Nvidia, Beijing, U.S, Central News Agency, The U.S . Commerce Department, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Taipei, Rights TAIPEI, China, U.S, Hsinchu, Tainan, The

☆ China has more space to cut reserve ratio instead of interest rates, says ex-official
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Paramilitary police officers stand guard in front of the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, the central bank (PBOC), in Beijing, China September 30, 2022. With interest rates and loan prime rates at low levels, there is more space to cut banks' reserve requirement ratio (RRR) than to cut interest rates, Sheng said. The central bank lowered the RRR in September for the second time this year to boost liquidity and support economic recovery. The weighted average RRR for financial institutions was around 7.4% after the cut. China is prudent in cutting interest rates as its monetary policy needs to consider internal and external balance, Sheng said.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Sheng Songcheng, Sheng, Mei Mei Chu, Christopher Cushing Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, People's Bank of, Shanghai Securities, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, People's Bank of China, U.S

☆ China regulator to speed reform of smaller financial institutions
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Li Yunze, director of China's National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), speaks at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai, China June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Jason Xue/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A key Chinese financial regulator said on Sunday it would accelerate reform of small and midsize financial institutions as it steps up its oversight of the sector. The National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) will collaborate with the General Administration of Financial Supervision to tighten supervision of the financial industry other than the securities market, director Li Yunze said in an interview with state media Xinhua. It will promote small and midsize banking institutions to optimise their structure, improve quality and increase efficiency, Li said. “At present, the operation of China's financial sector is generally stable and the overall risk resistance is strong,” he said.

Persons: Li Yunze, Jason Xue, Li, ”, Mei Mei Chu, Christopher Cushing, William Mallard Organizations: China's, Financial Regulatory Administration, REUTERS, Rights, Administration, Financial, Xinhua, NFRA, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ 7 things to know if you're visiting Hong Kong and want to experience the city like a local
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Faye Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I was born and raised in Hong Kong. AdvertisementBorn and raised in Hong Kong, I've seen various quirks and unique behaviors that have become ingrained in the city's culture. Whether it's donning puffer jackets during mild winters or whipping out umbrellas when the sun is shining bright, there are certain things I only expect to see in Hong Kong. Here are seven things you can do to blend in like the locals in Hong Kong. Shouting out orders is essential when visiting dai pai dongs, or open-air food stalls in Hong Kong.

Persons: I've, —, it's, pai dongs, Lewis Tse, Dai pai dongs, siu, — it's, Hong Kongers, Yung Chi Wai Derek, cheung, Sham Organizations: Service, Hong Locations: Hong Kong, Canada, expats, Asia, Mong

One Russian banking source close to the Russian central bank said receiving revenue in a non-convertible currency with little value outside India was "pointless". They said, however, the problem remained of finding a viable alternative to the dollar, and that the problems affect buyers in Africa, China and Turkey which have become top buyers of Russian oil. The biggest issue, however, concerns India, which has been buying more than 60% of Russian seaborne oil, according to LSEG data and Reuters calculations. India's top refiner Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) is struggling to settle some payments, mainly for the purchase of Russia's light, sweet Sokol grade from the Sakhalin 1 project. From October, several UAE banks have tightened control over Russia-focused clients to ensure compliance with the price cap, according to five oil trading and bank sources.

Persons: Yang Mei Hu, Tatiana Meel, Ivan Nosov, Sokol, YUAN, Barbara Lewis Organizations: COSCO Shipping, REUTERS, U.S ., UAE, Reuters, Indian Oil Corp, Sokol, IOC, UAE dirhams, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Ukraine Russian, MOSCOW, DELHI, Ukraine, India, Russian, Hong, Africa, China, Turkey, Washington, Moscow, United States, Russia's, Sakhalin, UAE

Joseph Ataman/CNNAfter many foreign workers fled Israel following the October 7 attacks, farmers were forced to abandon crops or rely on volunteers for the harvest. Inbar’s remaining foreign workers quietly motor up and down the rows of zucchini. Hamas fighters torched the barns holding hay for the dairy cows on Kibbutz Alumim, riding unopposed into the settlement before massacring foreign workers and attendees of the nearby Nova music festival. “The foreign workers run the farm, they do all the milking,” farm manager Stevie Marcus said of the working of the farm before October 7. Joseph Ataman/CNNStanding among Inbar’s zucchini, tech worker Avi Leibovich - volunteering on a day off from his day job - said he came to help Israeli farms survive.

Persons: Thais, Nattaphong Duangchan, Matan, Yosi, Joseph Ataman, Avi Dichter, ”, Lior Simcha, Stevie Marcus, Yosi Inbar, it’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Inbar, “ We’re, Lisa Perlman, Inbar’s, Avi Leibovich, Danny Parizada, hadn’t, Mei –, Mei, “ Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Palestinian, West Bank, Milk Producers Association, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, of Housing, Brothers, Sisters, Volunteers Locations: Thai, Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Thailand, Thailand’s, Sri Lanka, Israel’s, Egypt, United States, Nova, Kibbutz Alumim, Gaza City, Tel Aviv

☆ Rare fossil reveals behavior dinosaurs may have had in common with birds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That’s what scientists have interpreted from the pose of the dinosaur’s fossil skeleton. The study authors identified it as an alvarezsaurid, a type of small theropod (bipedal meat-eating dinosaur) with a long tail and legs and short front limbs. Alvarezsaurids are part of a larger dinosaur group called maniraptorans, which includes birds and birdlike dinosaurs that were their closest relatives. (A) A photo of the fossil skeleton found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Kohta KuboThe new fossil suggests that this sleeping behavior may have been more common than expected among the non-avian relatives of the earliest birds, the researchers reported.

Persons: Sinornithoides, Jaculinykus yaruui, Kohta Kubo, “, ”, Dr, Jingmai O’Connor, ” O’Connor, ” Kubo, Jaculinykus, Shuvuuia deserti, Kubo, Kobu, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Field, Paleobiology Research, Hokkaido University, Scientific Locations: Mongolia, Chicago, Jaculus, yaruu, Japan, alvarezsaurs

☆ Researchers return to Alzheimer's vaccines, buoyed by recent drug success
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The renewed interest in Alzheimer's vaccines follows a promising first attempt more than 20 years ago that was abandoned after 6% of study volunteers developed life-threatening brain inflammation known as meningoencephalitis. Dr. Reisa Sperling, an Alzheimer's researcher at Mass General Brigham in Boston, said she believes vaccines will play an important role as researchers look to prevent Alzheimer's. She is considering vaccines for her next study in asymptomatic people with Alzheimer's proteins in their blood, but not enough to register on brain scans. Alzheimer's vaccines are still in the early stages and will require large, years-long trials to show they work. Generating a strong immune response is critical for such vaccines, which would typically be given to older individuals with weaker immune systems, he said.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Eli Lilly's, Reisa Sperling, Brigham, “, ” Sperling, Walter Koroshetz, Mei Mei Hu, Vaxxinity, Hu, Michael Rafii, Rafii, Andrea Pfiefer, Johnson, Prothena, Gene Kinney, Julie Steenhuysen, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Alzheimer Research, Brigham, Women's, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Mass, National Institutes of Health, UB, University of Southern, Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Boston, Taiwan, University of Southern California

☆ China pandas: Xi Jinping hints he could send new pandas to US as ‘envoys of friendship’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Yong Xiong | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Their departure leaves Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas from China. “Recently, the three pandas at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C. have returned to China. The Chinese leader did not offer additional details on where any future Chinese pandas might be sent, but suggested California would be the most likely destination. The San Diego Zoo returned its last two pandas to China in 2019, after the loan agreement concluded. It’s also the Chinese leader’s first trip to the US in more than six years.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, “, Xi, Joe Biden, Richard Nixon’s, Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, Xiao Qi Ji –, It’s, Biden Organizations: CNN, San Diego Zoo, Beijing –, Smithsonian National Zoo, Smithsonian National, Zoo, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Locations: China, United States, San Francisco, Beijing, Europe, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Qatar, Washington ,, Zoo Atlanta, Washington, California, Bali , Indonesia

☆ Panda Diplomacy Might Not Be Dead Just Yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Edward Wong | More About Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The fur balls might be coming back to Washington and San Diego. Xi Jinping, China’s leader, said in a speech on Wednesday night that his nation’s best diplomats, giant pandas, might soon return to zoos in the United States that have recently sent bears back to their homeland. “We are ready to continue our cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples,” he told a gathering of mostly business executives at a dinner in San Francisco. Mr. Xi pointed out that the pandas are “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.”Panda-monium gripped the United States last week when the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington sent its two aging adult pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji, or “Little Miracle,” back to China on a 19-hour FedEx flight, the Panda Express.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Mr, Xi, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji Organizations: FedEx, Panda Express Locations: Washington, San Diego, United States, San Francisco, China

The San Diego Zoo sent its pandas home in 2019 and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year. Whatever the reason, San Diego Zoo officials were hopeful. "It is a moment with some heartbreak in it,” National Zoo Director Brandie Smith said at the time. The San Diego Zoo has been panda-less for four years and may need to upgrade or refurbish its facilities. The National Zoo had announced plans to renovate its panda house and outdoor enclosure, but the timing on those plans is unclear.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Xi, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji —, ”, Daniel Ashe, ” Dennis Wilder, ” Wilder, Wilder, Gavin Newsom's, Xi’s, Paul A, Baribault, Ling, Hsing, Brandie Smith, Le Le, Didi Tang, Amy Taxin Organizations: WASHINGTON, San Diego Zoo, National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, Veteran, Economic Cooperation, Association of Zoos, Aquariums, Georgetown University’s Initiative, U.S, California Gov, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, “, Zoo, Associated Press Locations: America, California, San Diego, U.S, Memphis , Tennessee, China, Veteran China, People's Republic, Asia, San Francisco, United States, Washington, Memphis, Santa Ana , California

Later, Beijing loaned the pandas to other U.S. zoos, with proceeds going back to panda conservation programs. The National Zoo’s three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji, eight days ago began their long trip to China. After their departure, only four pandas are left in the United States, in the Atlanta Zoo. Unproven allegations that U.S. zoos mistreated the pandas, known as China’s “national treasure,” flooded China’s social media. The San Diego Zoo returned its pandas in 2019, and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Xi, Joe Biden, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Biden, Ashraf Khalil Organizations: FRANCISCO, U.S ., National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, San Diego Zoo, Garden, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Associated Press Locations: China, United States, California, San Diego, U.S, Beijing, Washington, San Francisco, Memphis , Tennessee

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