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China sent a pair of giant pandas to the United States on Sunday, according to official Chinese media, following a summit in Washington between the leaders of the two countries that was marked by a showy nature without any breakthroughs.
The transfer of the giant panda pair had been previously agreed upon, but the announcement of their departure date was made on Thursday during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington.
These black-and-white mammals are immensely popular around the world, and China sends them on loan to other countries as part of a program known as 'panda diplomacy' to enhance foreign relations.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported that 'Bing Bing' and 'Fu Zhuang' left Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on a chartered plane around 3:00 AM on Sunday (19:00 GMT Saturday).
The official Chinese newspaper Global Times reported that steamed corn cakes, bamboo, and carrots were prepared to ensure the panda pair received adequate food during the 15-hour flight.
A FedEx Boeing 777 was the most tracked aircraft on the Flightradar24 platform as it approached Alaska, approximately halfway through its journey.
The giant pandas will be placed in a zoo in Atlanta, Georgia, where they will spend the next 10 years.
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding organized a farewell ceremony for the panda pair before their journey.
The Global Times reported that the American side sent panda breeding experts to accompany the pair on their flight.
In preparation for their arrival, the Atlanta Zoo renovated its panda facilities and formed a team to care for them.
It also ensured a stable supply of bamboo grown locally in Atlanta, which has a climate very similar to that of Chengdu.
The Atlanta Zoo previously hosted panda animals under a loan agreement from China for a quarter of a century starting in 1999, but it no longer has any since 2024.
The new arrivals were both born in 2020, with the male 'Bing Bing' now six years old, while the female 'Fu Zhuang' will turn six next month.
Pandas live in closed zoos for about 30 years.
These furry animals have been sent to various parts of the world over decades as ambassadors of Beijing's soft power, reflecting China's diplomatic goodwill.
In 1972, China gifted a pair of pandas to Washington following U.S. President Richard Nixon's historic visit to the communist country.
Earlier this year, Beijing retrieved a pair of pandas from Japan following a diplomatic dispute between the two countries after the Japanese Prime Minister hinted at the possibility of Tokyo intervening militarily if Taiwan were to be attacked by China.
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