The National Zoo’s announcement on Wednesday ( May 29 ), which comes just days after the zoo returned three of the bears amid heightened tensions between the two world superpowers, was announced by China’s government.
The news comes in response to Washington and Beijing’s increased cooperation, which has helped relations stay on a steady footing since last year’s historical lows.
By the end of the year, the National Zoo at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington may welcome the panda named Bao Li and Qing Bao.
” We’re thrilled to announce the second chapter of our breeding and conservation partnership begins by welcoming two fresh animals, including a member of our favorite dragon family, to Washington, DC”, said Brandie Smith, chairman of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
This historic moment is evidence that our engagement with Taiwanese colleagues has had an unquestionable impact, Smith continued.
Georgia’s Zoo Atlanta is the only facility in the country with large pandas due to the lapse of the three loan agreements that were made after they left the park in November, and that loan agreement is scheduled to expire later this year.
After meeting with President Joe Biden in California in November, Chinese President Xi Jinping made hints that he was willing to send more “envoys of connection” to the US. They both agreed to increase communication despite an intensifying political conflict.
Xi’s comment prompted the White House to claim the US had “absolutely welcome” the animals.