Xi: Pandas to Arrive in Atlanta Soon

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced Thursday that two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will arrive at Zoo Atlanta "in a few days," during his state visit to the United States. He called the pandas "an envoy of friendship" between the two nations. A Zoo Atlanta representative declined to confirm the arrival date or provide further details. The zoo, which hosted pandas from 1999 to 2024, reached an agreement in April with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to receive the two bears. China leases pandas to international zoos under "panda diplomacy," a practice that began in 1957 and shifted from gifting to leasing in 1984. Other U.S. zoos, including San Diego and Washington, D.C., have recently received new pandas after gaps in their programs.