China Sends Pandas Ping Ping, Fu Shuang to Atlanta After Xi-Trump Summit
Two giant pandas departed Chengdu for Zoo Atlanta on a dedicated FedEx flight following the leaders' meeting in Washington.
KEY POINTS
- Pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed Chengdu for Atlanta on September 26.
- Arrival followed Xi Jinping and Donald Trump's Washington summit one day prior.
- Animals will live at Zoo Atlanta on a 10-year loan from the Chinese government.
- Habitat upgrades completed at Zoo Atlanta include expanded indoor space and new facilities.
- Pandas mark return to Atlanta after nearly two-year absence.
Two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, left Chengdu at 2:55 a.m. local time on Sunday aboard a FedEx Boeing 777 bound for Atlanta. The flight departed one day after Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump concluded a state visit in Washington where they extended a trade truce and agreed to establish an AI hotline.
The pandas landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport shortly before 7:00 a.m. on September 27, marking the return of giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta after a nearly two-year absence. Chinese veterinarians and breeders will remain at the zoo to assist the animals during their quarantine period.
“The giant panda has been an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and Americans.”
Zoo Atlanta and the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base conducted extensive meetings to upgrade the indoor habitat, significantly expanding activity space and adding stone platforms and pools. Xi Jinping described the pandas as "envoys of friendship" between the two nations, a tradition dating back to Chairman Mao Zedong's 1972 gift following Richard Nixon's historic visit.
Ping Ping, a six-year-old male born in March 2020, is known for tree climbing. Fu Shuang, a five-year-old female turning six in October, has a distinctive tuft of fur and a talent for finding food. Fresh bamboo shoots and apples were packed for their journey.
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