Two giant pandas sent by China after Trump-Xi summit arrive in US
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at the White House on Sept 24. The pandas’ transfer had already been agreed upon but their departure was announced that day during Xi’s visit to Washington.
PHOTO: DOUG MILLS/NYTIMES
- China sent two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to the United States after the Trump-Xi summit as part of its "panda diplomacy" to strengthen foreign relations.
- The pandas left Chengdu on Sept 27 and will live in an Atlanta zoo for the next 10 years, with a farewell ceremony held before their departure.
- China previously recalled pandas from Japan in 2026 due to diplomatic tensions related to Taiwan, highlighting the political significance of panda loans.
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BEIJING – Two giant pandas sent by China arrived in the US on Sept 27, 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 upon, but their departure was announced on Sept 24 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 left Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on a chartered plane at around 3am on Sept 27, 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 7am local time (7pm Singapore time), Xinhua said later.
Steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots and carrots have been 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 are headed to a zoo in Atlanta, where they will be spending 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’s.
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 the expected arrivals were born in 2020. Ping Ping, a male, is six years old while Fu Shuang, a female, will turn six in October.
Pandas in captivity typically live for around 30 years.
The furry creatures have been sent across the globe for decades as soft-power ambassadors of Beijing’s diplomatic goodwill.
In 1972, China gifted a pair of pandas to Washington, following then US President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to the communist nation.
Beijing recalled two of its pandas from Japan in early 2026, following a diplomatic spat that began when Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hinted that Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of any attack on Taiwan. AFP