Xi Jinping announces two pandas for Atlanta Zoo

Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced that China will send two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to Atlanta Zoo within days, during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. CNN reported the news on Thursday, September 24. Xi called the animals a historic "messenger of friendship" between the two nations. Trump noted Xi was the first Chinese leader to make a second official visit to the White House, citing a strong personal friendship since 2016, and discussed balanced trade, security, technology, and artificial intelligence. Xi also invited 100,000 American students to visit China over five years. The panda diplomacy tradition dates to 1972, when Mao Zedong's government gifted pandas to the U.S. after President Richard Nixon's visit. Under current agreements, the animals and their offspring remain Chinese property, with zoos paying fees for conservation programs.