China sends two giant pandas to Atlanta after Xi-Trump summit
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang left Chengdu on a chartered FedEx flight early Sunday for a 10-year stay at Zoo Atlanta — one of the few concrete outcomes of Xi Jinping's three-day summit with Donald Trump in Washington.
Two giant pandas are on their way from China to Zoo Atlanta, the most tangible result of this week’s three-day summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in Washington.
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, both born in 2020 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, left Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on a chartered plane at about 3am on Sunday, China’s Xinhua news agency reported. They are on a 10-year loan to the Atlanta zoo, which has been without pandas since its last pair returned to China in 2024.
The FedEx Boeing 777 carrying them was the most-tracked aircraft on FlightRadar24 as it neared Alaska, roughly halfway into the 15-hour flight. Steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots and carrots were prepared to keep them nourished, China’s Global Times reported, and experienced US keepers were dispatched to accompany the pair.
During his visit to Washington, Xi announced the pandas would arrive in Atlanta “in the coming days”. The Associated Press described the loan as one of the few concrete outcomes of a state visit heavy on symbolism but light on resolutions to the two countries’ long-standing differences. Xi called the loan programme an example of “friendship between the Chinese and Americans”.
A farewell ceremony was held at the Chengdu base before departure. Zoo Atlanta, which hosted pandas for a quarter of a century from 1999, has renovated its facilities and assembled a caretaker team for the new arrivals.
Further reporting: The Straits Times — https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/china-sends-two-giant-pandas-to-us-after-trump-xi-summit
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