US & China
China Set to Send Pandas to US Before Trump’s Planned Visit
China lends the animals out to zoos around the world as part of its so-called Panda Diplomacy, which can be used to reward friends or punish perceived misbehavior.
Photographer: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
China is sending two pandas to the US, adding to signs of stabilizing ties between the nations just before President Donald Trump’s planned meeting with Xi Jinping in mid-May.
Zoo Atlanta said in a statement on Thursday that a male panda named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang are part of an agreement reached with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The new deal replaces the original one, which expired in 2024, the zoo said.