Two pandas relax in their enclosure at the Chengdu research base for giant panda breeding in Chengdu, in China’s southwestern Sichuan province on December 5, 2025. (FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse)
China dispatches two giant pandas to US after WH summit
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- Two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, departed China via a chartered flight for Zoo Atlanta under a 10-year loan agreement.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping formally announced their imminent arrival during his state visit with Donald Trump in Washington.
- The transfer reflects Beijing's ongoing soft-power diplomacy following panda recalls from Japan amid diplomatic friction earlier in the year.
China dispatched two giant pandas to the United States on Sunday, state media reported, following a high-level summit in Washington described as rich in symbolism but producing limited major policy breakthroughs.
While the transfer agreement for the black-and-white mammals had been established previously, Chinese President Xi Jinping formally announced their departure on Thursday during his state visit to the US capital.
The two pandas, named Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport aboard a chartered flight at approximately 3:00 a.m. Sunday (1900 GMT Saturday), according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
10-year conservation stay
The animals are heading to Zoo Atlanta in Georgia, where they will reside for the next 10 years as part of China's "panda diplomacy" initiative, a long-standing soft-power practice aimed at enhancing bilateral relations through wildlife conservation loans.
Prior to their takeoff, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding hosted a formal farewell ceremony for the pair.
The latest loan comes after Beijing recalled two giant pandas from Japan early this year following a diplomatic disagreement triggered when Japan's prime minister suggested Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of an attack on Taiwan.
