The China Wildlife Conservation Association is working with the National Zoo in Washington to arrange the return of more pandas to the United States, indicating an improvement in diplomatic relations between the two superpowers. Over the years, China has loaned several beloved pandas to zoos in various countries as goodwill ambassadors, solidifying what is known as "panda diplomacy" in modern relations between China and the United States.
Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday in response to a question during a regular press conference, "The relevant Chinese institutions have signed agreements with Madrid Zoo in Spain and San Diego Zoo in the United States regarding a new round of international cooperation in the protection of giant pandas." She added, "They (the institutions) are also working with the National Zoo in Washington, United States, and Vienna Zoo in Austria to actively negotiate and launch a new round of cooperation."
The China Wildlife Conservation Association announced through its WeChat account that it has reached agreements for the conservation of giant pandas and signed them with several zoos. The National Zoo in Washington returned three pandas to China last November as part of a legacy dating back more than 50 years, making the Atlanta Zoo in Georgia the only zoo in the United States with a giant panda program.
This year, the loan agreement for the four pandas at the zoo is set to expire, meaning the United States will be without pandas for the first time since 1972 when the Chinese government gifted two giant pandas to the United States following President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China during the Cold War.
Mao stated, "We look forward to a new round of international cooperation with the relevant countries to protect giant pandas, which will further enhance the results of scientific research on the protection of giant pandas and other endangered species, and strengthen the ties and friendship between our peoples." Relations between China and the United States have become strained over the past year due to various global issues, including regional wars, trade disputes, and ongoing espionage accusations. The leaders of the two countries have held several rounds of talks in recent months to ease tensions.
