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Xi Jinping announces two giant pandas 'Ping Ping' and 'Fu Shuang' will soon arrive at Atlanta Zoo during US state visit
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Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on September 24 during a state visit to Washington that two giant pandas, 'Ping Ping' and 'Fu Shuang', will arrive at the Atlanta Zoo within days. Speaking at a White House ceremony, Xi described pandas as 'friendship envoys' between Chinese and American people. The Atlanta Zoo, which hosted pandas from 1999 to 2024, reached an agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association in April to receive the pair. The zoo declined to provide details on the planned arrival date. China maintains strict control over panda exhibitions, claiming ownership of all pandas worldwide and leasing them internationally under 'panda diplomacy'. This tradition began in 1957 and shifted from gifts to leases in 1984 due to declining panda numbers. Recent years have seen pandas return to US zoos after gaps, including Washington's National Zoo in October 2024 and San Diego Zoo in June 2024. The International Union for Conservation of Nature reclassified pandas from 'endangered' to 'vulnerable' in 2016, with about 1,800 now living in the wild.
Source report
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered news to the people of Atlanta: giant pandas are on their way.
On September 24, while beginning his state visit to the United States in Washington, Xi announced that two giant pandas, "Ping Ping" and "Fu Shuang," would arrive at Zoo Atlanta "within days."
"Giant pandas have always been envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American people," Xi said during a ceremony at the White House. "Here, I have some good news."
Zoo Atlanta's Response
A representative for Zoo Atlanta declined to disclose the planned arrival date for "Ping Ping" and "Fu Shuang" and refused further comment. The zoo previously housed giant pandas from 1999 to 2024, and reached an agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association in April to receive the two pandas.
China's Panda Diplomacy
China maintains strict control over the exhibition of giant pandas, which it regards as precious national symbols. Beijing claims ownership of all giant pandas worldwide and leases them to international zoos under the banner of "panda diplomacy."
This tradition began in 1957, when Mao Zedong gifted a panda named "Ping Ping" to the Soviet Union. In 1972, as dialogue on normalizing U.S.-China relations began, Beijing gifted two pandas to the United States.
In 1984, due to declining panda populations, China stopped gifting pandas and switched to leasing arrangements, typically pairing them for ten-year terms. Any cubs born abroad remain Chinese property and are usually returned to China at a young age. Beijing has also suspended panda loans to the U.S. during periods of diplomatic tension.
Recent Panda Transfers to the U.S.
- San Diego Zoo: Panda breeding was interrupted between 2019 and 2024.
- National Zoo in Washington: Had no pandas from 2023 to 2024 after agreements expired. In October 2024, two new pandas, "Bao Li" and "Qing Bao," arrived.
- San Diego Zoo: In June 2024, another pair, "Yun Chuan" and "Xin Bao," arrived.
Conservation Status
Giant pandas were once classified as an endangered species, but the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) upgraded their status to "vulnerable" in 2016. According to the World Wildlife Fund, approximately 1,800 giant pandas currently live in the wild.
Source: Reuters
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Giant pandas 'Ping Ping' and 'Fu Shuang' arrive in Atlanta for 10-year residency