China will send two giant pandas to the United States — male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping made this statement during a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, CBS News reports.
Xi Jinping called animals “messengers of friendship”. In Chinese, Fu Shuan means “double blessing”, and Ping Ping translates to “peace, peace”.
The pandas are set to move to “Zoo Atlanta” soon. The zoo has signed a new cooperation agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to bring the pandas from Chengdu, a research base for giant panda breeding.
Chinaʼs Foreign Ministry said the new cooperation should help improve the health of pandas, promote biodiversity protection and "strengthen the friendship between the Chinese and American people".
China considers these animals a national treasure and has used them to strengthen diplomatic relations with other countries since 1949. China transfers giant pandas to zoos in other countries as a gesture of friendship. This is called “panda diplomacy”. Typically, when tensions arise between China and another country, Beijing takes the pandas home. And when the countries reach an agreement, they are returned.
In 1972, Beijing transferred the first pair of pandas to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., following President Richard Nixonʼs historic visit to China.
The last time new pandas were transferred to the US was in October 2024 — pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao arrived at the National Zoo in Washington, and before that, in June 2024, the San Diego Zoo received a panda.
- On September 24, Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited the United States for the first time in 11 years. The US President Donald Trump met him in person, and the United States announced that it was continuing its trade truce with China.
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