Panda Diplomacy: The Giants 'Bing Bing' and 'Fu Shuang' Arrive in Atlanta as Part of a U.S.-China Agreement

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Two giant pandas arrived in Atlanta on Sunday as part of an agreement between the Chinese and American governments. Officials stated that "Bing Bing" and "Fu Shuang" left Chengdu in southwestern China early in the morning on a Boeing 777 aircraft specifically designed for transporting pandas, named "FedEx Panda Express."

Under a new agreement between the Atlanta Zoo and the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association, Atlanta has become one of three zoos in the United States to host giant pandas.

Raymond B. King, Chairman and CEO of the Atlanta Zoo, said in a statement: "It is an extremely exciting day for the Atlanta Zoo, and a historic moment for the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia and beyond. We are very happy to welcome Bing Bing and Fu Shuang, and we couldn't be more excited to share this joy with our members, visitors, the city of Atlanta, and the community in the coming weeks." Officials stated that zoo visitors will have to wait some time before they can see Bing Bing and Fu Shuang.

The pandas will undergo a nearly month-long quarantine in a biologically secure area within the new giant panda complex at the wildlife park.

Park officials have not confirmed a specific date for the panda's public debut.

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the arrival of the panda on Thursday during a three-day summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The panda loan was one of the few tangible outcomes of the state visit, which saw the two presidents express goodwill, but did not resolve any of the long-standing disputes between the two countries.