HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong has welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing, raising hopes for a boost to the city’s tourism. An An and Ke Ke are the third pair of giant pandas to be sent to the city from mainland China since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Their arrival came after their new neighbor Ying Ying gave birth to twins last month and became the world’s oldest first-time panda mother on record. Along with the twins’ father, Hong Kong now houses six pandas. Pandas are widely considered China’s unofficial national mascot. The country’s giant panda loan program with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy.
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