After 24 years, China brings pandas to the US capital again

The China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) announced that the 3-year-old pandas Bao Li (male) and Qing Bao (female) were brought from China to the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC in the early morning of October 15, according to CNN.

Panda Qing Bao in Sichuan in May

This is the first pair of pandas that China has sent to Washington DC in 24 years. The last pair of pandas in Washington DC were sent back to China in November 2023.

"China and the United States have made orderly arrangements to ensure the two pandas will arrive safely and smoothly at the Washington National Zoo," the CWCA said in a statement.

Panda diplomacy is said to be one of the few bright spots in the tense relationship between the world's two leading economies.

What is China's "panda diplomacy"?

Panda diplomacy between the two countries began in 1972 after US President Richard Nixon's "ice-breaking" visit to Beijing. During the visit, First Lady Pat Nixon expressed her love for pandas and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai later promised to send them to the US, according to CNN.

A few weeks later, the pandas Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing were sent to the National Zoo in Washington DC. Zoos in San Diego and Memphis have also returned pandas to China in recent years, and the remaining four were sent from Atlanta to China last week.

During a visit to San Francisco in November 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping suggested reviving panda diplomacy efforts, saying the adorable animals were "ambassadors of friendship between the Chinese and American people."

In June, a pair of pandas arrived at the San Diego Zoo. National Zoo Director Brandie Smith hailed the arrival of Bao Li and Qing Bao as a historic moment, opening the next chapter in the zoo's panda conservation program.

According to CNN, the pair of pandas are "leased" for 10 years, and the US pays $1 million per year for conservation efforts in China.

Bao Li was born in Sichuan Province, China, but his mother Bao Bao was born at the Washington National Zoo in 2013. Bao Li's grandparents, Meixiang and Tian Tian, ​​also lived in the United States for 23 years until their lease ended last year.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trung-quoc-lan-dau-dua-gau-truc-sang-washington-dc-trong-24-nam-185241015100606287.htm