“We are ready to cooperate with the United States to protect pandas.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who visited the United States for the first time in six years, hinted at the possibility of resuming ‘panda diplomacy’ by sending a panda, a symbol of US-China friendship, to the United States.
According to the Associated Press on the 16th (local time), President Xi said at a dinner with businessmen in San Francisco, USA, “Pandas have long been ambassadors of friendship between the Chinese and American people,” and “We will continue to cooperate with the United States to protect pandas.” “We are ready and will do our best to live up to the wishes of Californians for the sake of the friendly relationship between our two peoples.”
President Xi also said, “I heard that many Americans, especially children, are hesitant to say goodbye to pandas and go to the zoo to see them off,” and added, “I also learned that the San Diego Zoo and the people of California are looking forward to the pandas’ return.”
As the pandas that China first sent to Washington DC in 1972 became popular, they also leased pandas to zoos in other parts of the United States.
At one time, there were 15 pandas in the United States, but in recent years, as relations between the two countries deteriorated, panda lease contracts were terminated one after another, leading to a steady decline in the number of pandas in the United States.
The two pandas living at the San Diego Zoo returned to China when their lease contracts ended in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
The three pandas leased to the National Zoo in Washington DC were returned to China on the 9th.
Currently, there are four pandas left at the Atlanta Zoo alone.
The White House immediately expressed welcome to President Xi’s remarks.
“If China decides to send some of its pandas to the United States, we would absolutely welcome them back,” said John Kirby, coordinator of the U.S. National Security Council.
Coordinator Kirby added, “It must clearly be a decision made by President Xi.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.