Xi Jinping promises 2 pandas to Zoo Atlanta from Chengdu
World
Chinese President Xi Jinping is promising two giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta.
During his recent visit, he announced that two pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, are expected to arrive from a research base in Chengdu in the coming days.
This move is meant as a friendly gesture at a time when U.S.-China relations have been tense.
China loans pandas since 1984
"Panda diplomacy" has been China's way of showing goodwill since 1972, when the first pandas arrived after Nixon's historic visit.
While they used to be gifts, since 1984 China has loaned them out (and keeps any cubs born).
Whenever new pandas show up, it usually means relations are warming up between countries, even if there are big issues still on the table.