Giant pandas return to the US: a gift from China in the tradition started with Nixon

“Panda diplomacy,” a symbolic gesture of Beijing, originated in 1972, when President Richard Nixon made his historic visit to China. At that time, the administration of Mao Zedong decided to offer the United States two of these animals, as a sign of the thawing of diplomatic ice after a long period of deep division.

Continuing this consolidated tradition, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced from the White House the imminent arrival of two new pandas in the United States. He described them as early “ambassadors of friendship” between the two nations and confirmed that they are expected to be placed at the Atlanta Zoo in the coming days.

Earlier this year, the Atlanta Zoo had announced that two pandas, named Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, would be transferred to this city. Existing agreements between China and American zoos clearly specify that these animals, as well as any offspring born in captivity, remain the property of Beijing. Moreover, these contracts include an obligation for a financial contribution that goes toward the conservation of giant pandas in China.