China’s cutest diplomats are back! Xi Jinping revives Nixon-Mao era ‘Panda diplomacy’ at summit with Trump

China’s most famous diplomatic envoys have four legs, black-and-white fur and a remarkable ability to win over almost anyone.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has promised two giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta, bringing Beijing’s decades-old tradition of “panda diplomacy” back into the spotlight as he begins his first state visit to the US in more than a decade.

The pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, are expected to arrive from a research base in Chengdu in the coming days. Their arrival will give Zoo Atlanta its first pandas since the last four were returned to China in November 2024.

But why does China send pandas abroad — and why does their arrival often make headlines far beyond the zoo?

What is panda diplomacy?

Panda diplomacy is China’s long-running practice of using giant pandas to build goodwill with other countries.

The tradition dates back decades. In 1972, after then-US President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China, Beijing sent two pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, to Washington’s National Zoo.

The gift caused a sensation. More than a million people visited the pandas in their first year, turning the animals into instant celebrities and giving a new face to US-China relations.

The pandas became more than zoo attractions. They were a highly visible symbol of friendship between two countries that would later become fierce economic and geopolitical competitors.

From panda gifts to million-dollar loans

China changed its approach in 1984. Instead of giving pandas away permanently, it began sending them overseas on long-term loans.

The arrangement typically involved annual fees, while any cubs born abroad remained Chinese property.

The policy also changed the meaning of a panda’s arrival. A new pair could signal closer ties, while the return of pandas sometimes reflected worsening relations.

Over the years, pandas have been sent to countries including the US, Japan and several European nations, often for breeding, research and conservation as well as public display.

Why did US zoos lose their pandas?

Panda diplomacy became particularly complicated as US-China relations deteriorated.

Trade disputes, tensions over Taiwan and disagreements on other issues coincided with the return of several pandas to China. By November 2024, Zoo Atlanta had become the last US zoo to have pandas, after its four bears were sent back.

That made Xi Jinping’s latest announcement particularly significant.

The return of pandas to Atlanta does not change major disagreements between Washington and Beijing, but it offers a highly visible gesture of goodwill at a time when relations remain complicated.

Why pandas matter so much to China

For China, the animals carry enormous symbolic value. Chinese state media says pandas born in US zoos have included 17 cubs — six in San Diego, four in Washington and seven in Atlanta.

“Panda diplomacy conveys a message of friendship and goodwill from China,” Wu Xinbo of Fudan University said.

That appeal is difficult to miss. Pandas are hugely popular with the public, allowing a diplomatic gesture to reach ordinary people rather than just politicians and officials.

What Xi’s pandas mean for US-China ties

Xi announced the pandas as he and US President Donald Trump began talks covering some of the biggest issues in the relationship, including artificial intelligence, tariffs, critical minerals, Taiwan and the Iran war.

Xi Jinping also said China would invite 100,000 young Americans to study in China over the next five years.

The pandas, therefore, arrive at a moment when the US and China are trying to manage intense competition while keeping communication open.

They may not solve disputes over trade or Taiwan. But for a few minutes, at least, the world’s biggest geopolitical rivalry has a softer face — two giant pandas heading for Atlanta.