When did the pandas leave China for the United States?
BEIJING: China sent two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to the United States on Sunday aboard a chartered flight from Chengdu, state media reported.
The pandas departed Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at around 3am local time for a 15-hour journey to the United States. They are expected to spend the next 10 years at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia.
Why are the pandas being sent to the US?
The transfer had already been agreed, but its departure was announced during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington for a summit with US President Donald Trump.
The pandas were accompanied by experienced keepers, while Zoo Atlanta has renovated its facilities and arranged a long-term supply of bamboo for their arrival.
Both pandas were born in 2020. China has long used panda loans as part of its diplomatic outreach, a practice commonly known as “panda diplomacy.”
Zoo Atlanta previously hosted Chinese pandas for about 25 years from 1999 until their return to China in 2024.