“Panda diplomacy”: China sends two giant pandas to the US, where they will remain for ten years at a zoo in Atlanta

China sent two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to the United States, where they will be housed for ten years at a zoo in Atlanta. The animals departed from Chengdu-Shuangliu International Airport in southern China at 3:00 a.m. local time, according to the Xinhua news agency. Before the transport, Chinese authorities organized a farewell ceremony.

Sending giant pandas to other countries is part of Beijing’s “panda diplomacy” policy, through which China strengthens its relations with partner states. The animals are generally provided under temporary agreements, and their offspring also remain under China’s jurisdiction.

The development comes amid a context in which these exchanges can also reflect the state of diplomatic relations. This year, Beijing repatriated two giant pandas from Japan after statements by the Japanese prime minister about Taiwan displeased Chinese authorities. The popularity of giant pandas turns them into a diplomatic tool with strong symbolic and public value.