2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Games - Mascot Unveiled Tuesday Sep 17,2019

China has released its mascot for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games -- a smiling giant panda wearing a suit made to resemble ice.

The panda is named Bing Dwen Dwen -- in Mandarin, "bing" means ice and "dwen dwen" means robust and lively

A creature not known for its agility, the giant panda is encased in a stylized sports helmet meant to "make the animal appear more athletic,"

The mascot also looks like an astronaut, which was no accident, according to a statement from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"The newly launched Olympic mascot resembles an astronaut, embracing new technologies for a future with infinite possibilities," the statement said. The bands of color around its face are meant to represent "connectivity and advanced technologies," it added.

China also revealed the mascot for the Paralympics, a lantern child called "Shuey Rhon Rhon" whose name represents "warmth, friendship, courage and perseverance."

The lantern design holds extra significance because the Olympics will start three days after Chinese New Year, when lanterns are commonly hung and carried