China to send 2 giant pandas to US under new 10-year deal

China will send two giant pandas to the United States under a new 10-year conservation agreement with Zoo Atlanta, officials said Friday, in a move announced ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Beijing next month.

The China Wildlife Conservation Association said a male panda, Ping Ping, and a female, Fu Shuang, both born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, will be transferred to Zoo Atlanta under an agreement reached last year.

The deal continues long-standing conservation cooperation between China and the US, which began in 1999.

Zoo Atlanta has already started upgrading its facilities to host the pandas, with Chinese experts providing technical guidance on enclosure standards, animal care, nutrition and health protocols.

Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond B. King welcomed the agreement, saying the institution was “delighted and honored” to partner again with the Chinese association on conservation and research.

Under a previous agreement that ended in 2024, pandas Lun Lun and Yang Yang produced seven cubs across five litters between 2006 and 2016, in what Chinese officials described as one of the most successful breeding records in international panda cooperation with Western countries.

That partnership also included collaboration on behavioral training, veterinary care, conservation education and scientific research, contributing to broader academic exchanges.

The renewed agreement will focus on disease prevention, scientific cooperation, field conservation and development of China’s Giant Panda National Park, the association said.

The announcement comes ahead of Trump’s planned visit to Beijing in May, when he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, although the dates have not been confirmed by Beijing.