China’s newest panda diplomats Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are en route to Atlanta

Two giant pandas have left China on a flight bound for their new home at a zoo in Atlanta, the latest emissaries in Beijing’s long tradition of using “panda diplomacy” to strengthen ties with other countries.

They departed Chengdu, in southwestern China, at 2:55 a.m. Sunday morning local time (2:55 p.m. ET Saturday), China’s state news agency Xinhua said. The flight came just a day after Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington concluded. During that visit, which was intended to address rising US-China tensions, Xi and US President Donald Trump extended a trade truce and agreed to establish an AI hotline between the two countries. Video from Xinhua showed fans waving placards as trucks carrying the Read More.....