Baby giant panda gets new name: Bei Bei

Same goes for zoologists in China, who no longer wait to name pandas born in captivity.

CRI’s Washington correspondent He Fei has the details.

Before the ceremony, children from the Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School sang two songs in Mandarin Chinese to the first ladies. “I’m so happy to see her”.

Screen shot of the National Zoo’s PandaCam.

The celebrations kicked off this morning, when Obama and Peng arrived at the zoo and saw the panda cub get a brief health checkup inside the panda house.

The name also sort of sounds like a teen talking about their new crush: Oh my new bae bae is def gonna be my WCW tomorrow.

The zoo timed the announcement in “celebration of [Chinese President Xi Jinping’s] state visit and as a special honor for the cub”, the zoo says.

Afterward, the students met with Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists and Chinese scientists to learn about giant pandas.

“We do need more bonds to bring the people of our two countries ever more closer, “Peng said through a translator”.

The name was chosen by the two first ladies from a list of names suggested by officials at the zoo and in China.

The panda cub’s kept our hearts in motion for a month, and now that he has a name, we’re singing with glee about our precious treasure. Remember, all pandas here are essentially indentured servants from China. And the panda itself is an icon for our friendship with the US.

Traditionally, though, panda cubs are not named until they pass 100 days, in keeping with an ancient Chinese custom that is sometimes described as a measure to ward off a lifetime of bad luck.