Panda diplomacy: all the countries currently hosting China’s beloved ambassadors - South China Morning Post

Eve QiaoPublished: 6:00am, 2 Oct 2026Updated: 3:52pm, 2 Oct 2026Two giant pandas arrived in the US following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, continuing a decades-old tradition in which the beloved fuzzy ambassadors have become symbols of China’s ties with countries around the world.Zoo Atlanta announced the arrival of giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang on Sunday, saying it was “overjoyed” to welcome the pair after the zoo’s previous 25-year partnership with China ended in 2024.Xi said during his US visit that the pandas would be sent as an “envoy of friendship” between the Chinese and American people.

It gained international attention in the 1970s when China sent pandas to countries including the US and Japan following major diplomatic developments, including the establishment of diplomatic relations with Japan in 1972.