Xi Jinping revives panda diplomacy: What gift awaits Trump

"Here, I have a piece of good news. In a few days, two pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will come to their new home in Zoo Atlanta and meet with the American people," the Chinese leader said at the White House.

He added that the giant panda has always been an "envoy of friendship between the Chinese and Americans."

According to Chinese media reports, Fu Shuang means "double blessing," while Ping Ping translates as "peace, peace."

#China has sent two pandas to the United States. They will arrive at the Atlanta Zoo in the coming days, Chinese President Xi Jinping said during a meeting with US President Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/i2nKy6lQxG

— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) September 24, 2026

What is the connection between pandas and diplomacy

For decades, Beijing has used giant pandas as a diplomatic tool. This practice became known as panda diplomacy. Initially, China gifted the black-and-white bears to other countries, but in 1984 it began loaning them out.

Pandas became a symbol of US-China friendship in 1972, when Beijing gifted the bears to the National Zoo in Washington. The gesture preceded the normalization of bilateral relations. Later, Beijing loaned pandas to other US zoos as well.

As a rule, when tensions begin to rise between the US and China, Beijing takes the pandas back home. When the countries reach an agreement, the bears are returned to the US. For example, this happened in October 2025, when the last three pandas from the Washington Zoo returned to China.

Today, the Atlanta Zoo remains the only zoo in the US with pandas.

Xi Jinping arrived in the US for the first time in more than 10 years. At the same time, he became the first Chinese leader to visit the US twice during his tenure. Today, Trump is hosting Xi Jinping at the White House. RBC-Ukraine has collected the first details in a separate report.