Panda Trinkets Unleashed in Singapore

The arrival in Singapore of two Chinese VIPs—Very Important Pandas named Kai Kai (male) and Jia Jia (female)—has given rise to a new sought-after commodity in the city-state: panda swag, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Singapore is welcoming the furry beasts in a manner befitting Southeast Asia’s financial capital, with the Monetary Authority of Singapore issuing a silver-proof commemorative coin. The 5 Singapore dollar coin sports a color likeness of the ursine visitors next to a stand of bamboo and comes “in a unique oval shape, the first of its kind in Singapore,” according to the MAS.
There is no word yet on whether the central bank plans a senior debt issue in honor of the panda pair. But Wildlife Reserves Singapore, which will house the pandas at a new “River Safari” attraction, has remembered the city-state’s legions of bankers and entrepreneurs. Besides the traditional array of T-shirts and plush toys that say “Kiss me” when squeezed, zoo gift shops will offer a business-card carrying case bearing the pandas’ likenesses.