Panda diplomacy: China lends animals to U.S. for foreign ties

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, vehicles carrying a pair of giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, leave the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan Province, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026.(Xu Bingjie/Xinhua via AP)

Two giant pandas sent by China arrived in the United States on Sunday, Beijing’s state media said, after a leaders’ summit that was heavy on symbolism and light on major breakthroughs.

The pandas’ transfer had already been agreed but the departure was announced Thursday during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington.

The black-and-white mammals are immensely popular around the world, and China loans them out as part of a “panda diplomacy” programme to foster foreign ties.

Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on a chartered flight at around 3:00 am (1900 GMT on Saturday), state news agency Xinhua reported.

After a 16-hour flight that crossed the international date line, the bears touched down in Atlanta, Georgia shortly before 7:00 am local time (1100 GMT on Sunday), Xinhua said later.

Steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots and carrots were prepared to keep the pandas nourished during their flight, Chinese state-run media the Global Times reported.

The Boeing 777 operated by FedEx was the top-tracked aircraft on aviation information platform FlightRadar24 as it neared Alaska, roughly halfway into its journey.

The pandas will be hosted by Zoo Atlanta for the next 10 years.

A farewell ceremony was held for the pair before their departure by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Experienced keepers were dispatched by the US side to accompany the duo on their flight, the Global Times reported.

In preparation for their arrival, Zoo Atlanta has renovated its panda facilities and assembled a team of animal caretakers.

It has also ensured a stable and long-term supply of bamboo, grown locally in Atlanta, which has a climate that is very similar to Chengdu.

Zoo Atlanta previously hosted pandas on loan from China for a quarter of a century starting in 1999, but it has not had any since 2024.

Both arrivals were born in 2020. Ping Ping, a male, is now six years old while Fu Shuang, a female, will turn six next month.

Pandas in captivity typically live for around 30 years.

Beijing has sent the furry creatures across the globe for decades as soft-power ambassadors of its diplomatic goodwill.

In 1972, China gifted a pair of pandas to Washington, following US president Richard Nixon’s historic visit to the Communist nation.

Beijing recalled two of its pandas from Japan early this year, following a diplomatic spat that began when Japan’s prime minister hinted that Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of any attack on Taiwan.