George Papandreou, former prime minister of Greece, speaks at the forum. Photo: Ji Yuqiao/GT

During a business trip to Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jordan Strickler from Russia made a special stop to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to buy a panda-themed fridge magnet for his daughter. When asked why, he replied, "Everybody loves panda. How can you not love panda?" Indeed, few can resist the charm of pandas. On Saturday, the "golden panda" brought together film professionals and enthusiasts from around the world to Chengdu, including French director and actor Vincent Perez, Cairo International Film Festival President Hussein Fahmy, as well as Chinese film director Chen Kaige and writer Liu Zhenyun, all attending the 2nd Golden Panda Awards.

Asif Ali Zardari, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, delivers a speech at the forum. Photo: Ji Yuqiao/GT

Before the unveiling of the 2nd Golden Panda Awards - a prestigious international film and television cultural prize hosted in Sichuan - the 2025 Golden Panda International Cultural Forum opened on Saturday morning. Asif Ali Zardari, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Minister of Culture of Egypt, and hundreds of guests from around the world attended the forum.

Speakers at the forum emphasized on mutual learning among civilizations and the building of a shared future for humanity, reaching a consensus on the crucial role of intercultural dialogue in today's diverse world.

A parallel forum, themed "Ecological Reshaping: Development and Challenges of the Film and Television Industry," of the 2025 Golden Panda International Cultural Forum examined the restructuring of the global film and television ecosystem. Using examples such as blockbuster films and trending short dramas, speakers explored new approaches to content creation and international communication, discussing how to shape a new industry ecology in an increasingly decentralized creative environment, and how to nurture more globally influential cultural IPs, injecting new momentum into the industry's prosperity.

At the forum, guests emphasized the importance of cultural exchange and civilizational dialogue. The President of Pakistan pointed out that the partnership between China and Pakistan has become a model of international cooperation. "As we look forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations next year, we are reminded that this relationship is more than a strategic partnership between states; it is a living testimony to the resilience of friendship between peoples," he said.

"Culture stands out of as one of the strongest bonds between our community," said Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Minister of Culture of the Arab Republic of Egypt, in his keynote speech on the enduring cultural bond between Egypt and China.

He added that China and Egypt as two ancient civilizations have worked together in diverse fieds to preserve cultural identity and broaden communication.

Nigerian blogger Zhang Wen, who has more than 370,000 followers on Douyin, told the Global Times on Saturday that he is a big fan of Jackie Chan's kung fu movies and has watched many Chinese films with his father since childhood. At the forum, he said he felt deeply the importance of cultural dialogue and confidence, adding that the Golden Panda events have created a valuable platform for such exchanges.

Meanwhile, the forum also promoted the Golden Panda Global Imaging Cooperation Programme, which featured prominent guests such as Chinese director Liu Jiangjiang and Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

At the first Golden Panda Awards in 2023, a total of 7,024 film and television works from 104 countries and regions across five continents were submitted in Chengdu. In 2025, over 5,000 entries were submitted, with foreign works accounting for 73.2 percent, an increase of 3.2 percentage points from the first edition.