Two giant pandas from China arrived in the United States on Sunday, announced the state-run Xinhua news agency. This delivery followed a symbolic high-level summit in Washington, which reportedly yielded few significant advancements in relations, according to AFP.
The panda transfer, part of an agreement set for 2025, was initially announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Washington for the summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
These beloved animals are widely recognized as a diplomatic tool for China, which often lends them to strengthen ties with other nations.
The pandas, named Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at 3 AM local time and, after a 16-hour flight, arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, just before 7 AM local time (11 AM GMT) on Sunday, as reported by Xinhua and cited by Agerpres.
The Boeing 777 operated by FedEx became the most tracked aircraft on FlightRadar24 until it neared Alaska, approximately halfway through its journey.
They will reside at the Atlanta Zoo for the next ten years.
A farewell ceremony was held prior to their departure from the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base.
Experienced caretakers were sent by the American side to accompany the pandas during their flight, according to Global Times.
China’s Soft Power Strategy
Before the pandas’ arrival, the Atlanta Zoo upgraded its facilities for the new inhabitants and established a dedicated team of caretakers.
A stable, long-term supply of bamboo, cultivated locally in Atlanta, has also been secured given the city’s climate closely resembles that of Chengdu.
The Atlanta Zoo has hosted loaned pandas from China for a quarter of a century since 1999, although it has not housed any since 2024.
Both pandas arriving in the U.S. were born in 2020. Ping Ping, a male, is now six years old, while Fu Shuang, a female, will turn six next month. Captive pandas generally live about 30 years.
Beijing has been sending these soft-furred animals worldwide for decades as ambassadors of its soft power and diplomatic goodwill.
Since 1972, for example, China gifted a pair of pandas to Washington following former President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to the communist nation.
While panda loans serve to symbolize strong diplomatic relations, they can also be reclaimed to express dissatisfaction.
This year, for instance, Beijing repatriated two pandas from Japan after remarks by the Japanese Prime Minister suggested military intervention might occur in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, a territory Beijing claims as its own, according to AFP.
