Coin Press - Two giant pandas, emblems of China soft diplomacy, arrive in US

The bears' transfer had already been agreed but the departure was announced Thursday during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington.

The black-and-white mammals are immensely popular around the world, and China loans them out as part of a "panda diplomacy" program to foster foreign ties.

A male named Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on a chartered flight at around 3:00 am (1900 GMT Saturday), Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.

After a 16-hour flight that crossed the international date line, the bears touched down in the southern US city of Atlanta, Georgia shortly before 7:00 am local time.

Steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots and carrots were prepared to keep the pandas nourished during their flight, Chinese state-run Global Times reported.

The Boeing 777 operated by FedEx -- and nicknamed the "FedEx Panda Express" -- was the top-tracked aircraft on aviation information platform FlightRadar24 as it neared Alaska, roughly halfway into its journey.

The pandas will be hosted for the next 10 years by Zoo Atlanta, which said Sunday it was "elated to welcome Ping Ping and Fu Shuang" to the city.

"This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond," zoo president Raymond King said in a statement.

A farewell ceremony was held for the pair by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding before their departure.

Experienced keepers were dispatched by the US side to accompany the duo on their flight, the Global Times reported.

In preparation for their arrival, Zoo Atlanta has renovated its panda facilities and assembled a team of animal caretakers.

It has also ensured a stable and long-term supply of bamboo, grown locally in Atlanta, which has a climate that is very similar to Chengdu.

The bears are not yet visible to the public, and will be housed in a biosecure area of the animal park for a "routine quarantine of around a month," the zoo stated.

Atlanta previously hosted pandas on loan from China starting in 1999, and seven panda cubs have been born at the zoo. All are now back in Chengdu, and Zoo Atlanta has not had any pandas since 2024.

Both of the new arrivals were born in 2020. Ping Ping is now six years old while Fu Shuang turns six in October.

Pandas in captivity typically live for around 30 years.

Beijing has sent the furry creatures across the globe for decades as soft-power ambassadors.

In 1972, China gifted a pair of pandas to Washington, following US president Richard Nixon's historic visit to the Communist nation.

Beijing recalled two of its pandas from Japan early this year, following a diplomatic spat that began when Japan's prime minister hinted that Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of any attack on Taiwan.

P.Schmidt--CPN