WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The giant panda couple, Bao Li and Qing Bao, made their first public appearance on Friday since their arrival at the Smithsonian's National Zoo here.

Attending the ceremony to celebrate the official public debut of the pandas hosted by the zoo, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng said: "Embracing pandas is embracing peace and friendship."

"Our shared love for pandas has deepened my conviction that China and the United States have much more in common than what divides us," said Xie.

Highlighting the achievements on panda cooperation, he said: "I will feel more confident that as long as we work together, we can make big, great things happen, to the benefit of both our countries and the world."

Brandie Smith, director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, thanked China for sending a new pair of giant pandas to Washington.

The collaboration between the United States and China on the conservation and research of giant pandas has yielded fruitful results and helped the number of giant pandas grow steadily, which has been a success story, said Smith.

Sent as part of a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation program, the three-year-old pandas, Bao Li, male, and Qing Bao, female, departed their hometown in Sichuan Province and arrived in the U.S. capital city on Oct. 15, 2024.