Maybe it is the black and white fur, its round cuddly body or its well-known pleasant demeanor, but the panda is one animal that can melt hearts anywhere. Until now, any Israeli who wanted to see pandas had to fly abroad. But in an extraordinary gesture, the Chinese government has agreed to send a pair of pandas to Israel. The lovable bear serves as part of Beijing's diplomacy, known as "panda diplomacy," and is a way for the Chinese government to communicate its appreciation and intention to deepen ties with other nations. The pandas will be brought to the Haifa Educational Zoo, after the city last week signed a twin-city agreement with Chengdu in China, a city of 14 million residents. Haifa Municipality Director-General Shmuel Gantz and Chengdu's Prof. Fei Lisong first discussed the possibility of bringing the exotic bears to Israel. Lisong is senior researcher at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Lisong came to Israel as part of a Chinese delegation tasked with developing Chengdu's economic, commercial and tourism sector. According to the agreement, Haifa zoo staff will fly to Chengdu to learn about the optimal living conditions and special diets of the pandas, which live almost exclusively on bamboo. With Chinese guidance, the Haifa zoo will also construct a special compound for the bears to be ready before their arrival. The Chinese delegation arrived in Haifa on the heels of last month third annual China-Israel High-Tech Investments Summit held at the Dan Carmel Hotel. The summit, the largest of its kind in Israel, was attended by more than 200 Chinese officials and industrialists and their Israeli counterparts. After meeting at the Haifa Municipality, the Chinese delegation headed to the zoo, where they met Haifa Educational Zoo Director Dr. Etty Ararat and chief zoo veterinarian Dr. Boaz Lenderman. Members of the Chinese delegation said they were impressed by the conditions and care provided by the zoo, which is a member of both the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, and World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav thanked China for its "very heartwarming gesture to Haifa and its residents." Speaking to Israel Hayom, Yahav said the panda "is the perfect animal to fight all forms of racism. It is black, white, Asian and still beloved and adored by the entire world."
