The pandas in Washington’s National Zoo to be returned to China after long decades of friendly ‘Panda Diplomacy’

The pandas at the National Zoo in Washington are poised to return to China, marking the end of a decades-long era of friendly ‘Panda Diplomacy’ between the two countries. The news has left visitors, conservationists, and experts who have been directly involved in the pandas’ care feeling melancholic.

Scheduled for an early December departure, the trio of pandas—Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub Xiao Qi Ji—will soon be on their way back to China.

Panda Diplomacy between China and the United States dates back to 1972 when China gifted pandas to then-US President Richard Nixon during his historic visit to China.

Subsequently, China continued to loan pandas to Washington, and the three pandas at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington have been the recipients of millions of dollars in care. Experts have meticulously studied these animals, and their behavior has been closely monitored through a popular 24-hour “Panda Cam.”

Mei Xiang and Tian Tian arrived in Washington in 2000 and have had four cubs, including Xiao Qi Ji, born in 2020, who will also be returning to China in December.

In 2015, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States, an official ceremony was held to unveil the name of the panda cub Bei Bei, symbolizing the strong diplomatic ties at that time. However, in just eight years, tensions between the two nations have escalated over various issues.

The Smithsonian reportedly pays $500,000 annually to its conservation partner in China for the pandas’ care.

The impending return of the pandas has evoked sadness among many. The zoo released a statement acknowledging the end of a significant chapter in international animal care and conservation and expressed its commitment to ensuring a healthy future for giant pandas.

The zoo is organizing a nine-day event called ‘Panda-palooza’ to honor the pandas before their departure. However, political shadows loom over the festivities, as a potential US government shutdown threatens due to disagreements between and within political parties over government spending. The National Zoo receives federal funding, and if a government shutdown occurs, it will be closed to the public.