Diplomacy between the United States and China often centers on high-stakes issues like trade and technology, but in Atlanta it is arriving with fur.
Diplomacy between the United States and China often centers on high-stakes issues like trade and technology, but in Atlanta it is arriving with fur.
Two giant pandas from China, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, have arrived at Zoo Atlanta after a 15-hour flight. The pandas are currently in quarantine, meaning the public cannot see them yet, but some Atlanta families are already looking forward to a visit.
“I was pretty excited. We have our baby, so we’re excited to take her to the zoo for the first time and get to see the pandas again,” Atlanta resident Katy Justice said.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced the panda loan during his visit to Washington last week. The visit also resulted in a trade truce with President Trump and an agreement to create an A.I. hotline.
Ping Ping, 6, whose name means "peace" or "calm," is a male panda with large black eye patches, according to China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration. He is also reportedly skilled at climbing trees.
The second panda, Fu Shuang, has a known talent for finding food. Her name means "double blessings," and she will be 6 as of Oct. 18. According to officials, Fu Shuang has a small tuft of fur on top of her head and a slightly prominent forehead.
For some visitors, the pandas represent more than a new attraction, serving as a hopeful sign between two countries that do not always see eye to eye.
“Well, anything that will help improve our relations with the two countries, I think is a good step and the pandas seem to be a great way to do it,” Atlanta visitor Dale Keida said.
Another visitor said the pandas alone will not be enough.
“I do think it’s going to take more than pandas,” Angela Keida said.
This won't be the first time Zoo Atlanta has hosted pandas. In 2024 the zoo returned four pandas to China, marking the end of a 25-year agreement.
China has long loaned pandas to other countries as a way to make new alliances and strengthen old ones.
Panda diplomacy between the U.S. and China countries dates back decades. After President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China, the United States was gifted its first two pandas from China in 1972. Those pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, lived at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington until the 1990s when they died.
“The giant panda has been an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and Americans,” Jinping said Thursday during his visit.
Since the first pair of pandas, most have been on loan, rather than a gift, meaning any cubs born in the U.S. are still Chinese property and require an annual fee of $1 million.
With the arrival of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, there are now six pandas in the United States.
Another pair is housed at the San Diego Zoo in Southern California, and two more pandas are at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington.
