Panda diplomacy resumes: A pair of bears are on their way to the National Zoo from China

A pair of giant pandas left China on Monday for the National Zoo, taking up residence in the nation’s capital weeks before the U.S. presidential election.

HONG KONG — A pair of giant pandas began their journey Monday from China to the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, where they will begin a 10-year residence in the nation’s capital, weeks before the presidential election.

Bao Li, a 3-year-old male, and Qing Bao, a 3-year-old female, are the latest pandas to be sent to the U.S. after a series of repatriations from American zoos raised concerns that geopolitical tensions could be hurting “panda diplomacy,” a longtime symbol of friendship between the world’s two largest economies.

The pair left for the airport from the China Conservation and Research Center's Dujiangyan Panda Base in the country's southwest Sichuan province, the China Wildlife Conservation Association said in a statement.

"The pandas’ flight will be supplied with essentials like steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots, carrots, water, and medicine to meet their needs," the statement said.

“The U.S. side dispatched three experienced keepers and veterinarians to Sichuan in advance to assist in the care of the pandas and familiarize themselves with their situation, and they will accompany the pandas on the journey,” it said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-panda-diplomacy-bears-national-zoo-washington-rcna175238

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