On November 28, the 2023 Panda Basi Peace and Friendship Forum, co-hosted by China Media Group and the China Association for International Friendly Contact, was held in Dujiangyan City in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
Themed “Friendly Exchanges, Shared Peace,” this forum brought together about 200 participants, including attendees from the United States, Italy, Belgium, Qatar, Morocco, Sri Lanka, officials from Sichuan Province’s Department of Ecology and Environment, Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Sichuan Forest Bureau, as well as experts, scholars, and representatives from relevant organizations.
The giant panda “Basi” lived in Fuzhou for 33 years. It passed away in September 2017, holding the record for the world’s oldest panda. Basi visited the United States in 1987 and became the prototype for the mascot “Pan Pan” of the 1990 Beijing Asian Games. This forum retells the legendary story of the panda to the international community. It aims to interpret the ecological civilization concept from multiple dimensions, promote the idea of protecting the Earth’s natural environment and biodiversity.
Xing Bo, the vice president of CMG, stated that CMG will actively utilize its advantages in communication to become the storyteller of Panda Basi, the recorder of panda conservation, and the disseminator of panda culture. CMG will continue to narrate the interesting stories of pandas, explore the unique charm of panda stories, and make Basi more impressive to people.
In a video message, Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister of Italy and former President of the European Commission, expressed that pandas symbolize hope, gratitude, and friendship, connecting people around the world. He emphasized that the world is large enough to fully accommodate peaceful coexistence and common development among nations.
Steve Orlins, the president of the National Committee of U.S.-China Relations, also shared his wishes via a video message. He said that he has witnessed many times how pandas brought the people of China and the United States closer. He hoped that the international community can draw inspiration from the spirit of Basi to promote the construction of a more peaceful, harmonious, and friendly world. He also expressed the wish for pandas to return to the United States once again.
During the forum, the participating parties jointly launched the CMG Panda Basi Film Project. CMG will use rich visuals to tell the legendary stories of the giant panda Basi and its unique contributions to promoting cultural exchanges between China and the world. The forum also released the “Dujiangyan Basi Declaration.”
