China Revives 'Panda Diplomacy' Ahead of Trump's Visit, Adding Two More Pandas to the U.S.

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[Financial News] The Chinese government has restarted its 'panda diplomacy' ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned visit to China in May. The number of pandas in the United States is expected to rise to six, including the two new pandas China will send.
On the 24th, the China Wildlife Conservation Association announced on its official WeChat account that it would begin new cooperative research on giant panda conservation with Zoo Atlanta in Georgia. As part of the agreement, Pingping, a male panda, and Fushuang, a female panda, from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding will be sent to the United States for 10 years of joint research.
The two countries have carried out joint panda research since 1999. At the time, the giant pandas Yang Yang and Lun Lun were sent to Zoo Atlanta and produced seven cubs, making the project a widely cited success story in panda cooperation between China and the West. The United States currently has four pandas in total, with two each at the San Diego Zoo and the Smithsonian National Zoo.
The China Wildlife Conservation Association said it expects the new panda partnership to produce major results in areas such as treatment and prevention of major diseases, scientific and technological exchange, and support for wild panda conservation.
China has long used panda diplomacy by lending its endangered giant pandas to friendly countries. The latest move is believed to reflect Beijing's awareness of Trump's visit to China, which would be his first in 10 years.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an announcement on the 25th of last month that the summit between the two countries would be held in Beijing on May 14-15. Trump had originally been scheduled to visit China from late March to early this month, but the trip was postponed once after the Iran War began.
 
pjw@fnnews.com Park Jong-won Reporter