Your morning adorable: Giant panda holds a stuffed animal, looks darn cute doing it

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Few things can match a giant panda in the field of cuteness -- OK, maybe squirmy puppies, koala joeys, fennec foxes and knobby-kneed moose calves come close -- but the panda above seems really determined to send his adorableness into the stratosphere.

How else can one explain the fact that he is not only holding a stuffed animal, but also sticking his tongue out just slightly while doing so?

We can only consider this a challenge to other cute animals, a dare to work harder and be more relentlessly adorable.

Either that, or it’s a promotion for the 2010 Asian Games -- and he’s holding the mascot -- which kicked off Friday in Guangzhou, China. Athletes from 45 Asian countries and territories are competing in the event, which concludes Nov. 27.

See another photo after the jump!

RELATED CUTE PANDAS:
Your morning adorable: Madrid Zoo’s giant panda twins entertain a royal visitor
Video goodness: Giant panda raises the roof -- er, scratches its back -- at Chinese panda center

-- Lindsay Barnett