The first lady of France, Brigitte Macron, met an old friend — a giant panda born in France. The first lady had first met the panda last year, at the end of her visit to China with French President Emmanuel Macron. During this visit, the panda, Yuan Meng, was living in a reserve in southwest China. She chose his name when he was born in a French zoo in 2017. It means “accomplishment of a dream”.

She marvelled at how big he had grown. “When they’re born, they’re like this,” she said, holding up two fingers a short distance apart. The panda roamed in his enclosure, feasting on bamboo, ignoring bystanders who called his name trying to elicit a reaction out of him.