A chartered FedEx cargo plane carrying a pair of Chinese giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, lands in Atlanta, the US, on September 27, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

A chartered FedEx cargo plane carrying a pair of Chinese giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, landed in Atlanta in the southeastern US on Sunday morning, kicking off their 10-year stay in the US. Their highly-anticipated arrival is expected to open a new chapter in China-US giant panda conservation cooperation while bringing fresh warmth to the people-to-people ties and friendship between the two countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the news on Thursday local time at the arrival ceremony at the White House during his state visit to the US, saying that Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will arrive at their new home in Zoo Atlanta and meet with the American people in a few days, per Xinhua News Agency.

This move came after the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) signed an agreement on international cooperation in giant panda protection with Zoo Atlanta last year.

From September 23 to 25 local time, President Xi paid a state visit to the US. During the visit, the two heads of state had in-depth discussions on the constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability and major international and regional issues, and reached eight deliverables and understandings. One of the eight deliverables and understandings was that the US welcomes the arrival of two giant pandas, leased by China to Zoo Atlanta, per Xinhua.

Chinese analysts noted the pandas' debut symbolizes not only a new chapter for China-US people-to-people exchanges but also an early real world outcome of understandings forged during the presidential visit.

Such incremental progress, they noted, illustrates the value of sustained engagement: Each high-level conversation builds on previous progress, turning broad understandings into concrete deliverables and gradually widening the space for cooperation. Over time, those accumulated gains are expected to help lay a stronger foundation for a China-US relationship that is more stable, predictable and constructive, experts observed. 

Goodwill envoys

Ping Ping, a male, was born on March 17, 2020, while Fu Shuang, a female, was born on October 18, 2020. 

For the trans-Pacific journey, the Chinese team developed a detailed travel plan aimed at keeping the pandas safe and comfortable. Fresh bamboo shoots, bamboo and apples were packed for the flight, along with emergency medicines. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang also underwent training ahead of the trip to familiarize them with the journey and help reduce stress, the Global Times learned from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA).

Throughout the flight, the cabin temperature and humidity will be maintained within a range comfortable for the pandas. Experienced American veterinarians and keepers are accompanying them, monitoring their condition and tending to their food and health along the way. China has also sent two teams of veterinarians and keepers to Zoo Atlanta in advance to prepare for their arrival, according to the NFGA. 

Once in Atlanta, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will enter quarantine, with Chinese staff remaining at the zoo to care for them during the transition. The team will also conduct acclimation and behavioral training to help the pandas settle into their new surroundings as smoothly as possible, the NFGA said. 

The China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) believed that this new round of China-US international cooperation on giant panda conservation will build on the strong foundation of past collaboration and deliver further progress in treating major diseases affecting giant pandas, as well as in disease prevention and control, and scientific and technological exchanges.

This cooperation is also expected to support the conservation of giant pandas in the wild and the development of the Giant Panda National Park, contributing further to global biodiversity conservation and friendship between the Chinese and American peoples, according to CWCA.

When the return of pandas to Atlanta was announced in the spring, Zoo Atlanta CEO Raymond B. King celebrated "the wonder and joy of giant pandas" and said his facility was "delighted and honored to yet again be trusted as stewards of this treasured species," according to PBS.

Expanding giant panda cooperation with other countries is a way of conveying the goodwill and friendship of the Chinese people, while also fostering warmer perceptions of China among local communities, Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times.

Decades of panda cooperation with the US have shown that these animals enjoy an appeal that transcends political parties, racial backgrounds and political views, Wu said. For many young Americans, giant pandas may offer one of their earliest and most direct connections with China. The affection they inspire, particularly among younger generations, can help foster goodwill toward China and build broader public support for a constructive China-US relationship, he added.

In November 2023, giant pandas Tian Tian and Mei Xiang and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji, returned to China, prompting a nationwide outpouring of farewell from millions of US panda fans of all ages, per PBS.

Momentum from engagements

As one of the eight deliverables and understandings reached between China and the US during President Xi's state visit to the US, the arrival of the two giant pandas injects warm human touches into the stabilization and improvement of China-US relations, raising expectations for more tangible bilateral cooperation translating political consensus into concrete implementation.

Other deliverables and understandings covered the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism, cooperation between the counter-narcotics and law enforcement agencies of China and the US, and the establishment of the China-US AI Dialogue, according to Xinhua.

It has been proven that China and the US can accomplish significant and beneficial things together through cooperation, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday after Xi wrapped up his US visit.

He also noted that an important political outcome of the visit is that President Xi and President Trump further enriched the substance of the new positioning of China-US relations and have agreed to build a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while briefing reporters on Xi's state visit. 

Wang said that history tells us that both sides stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. To help each other thrive and pursue win-win cooperation is the only right choice. China-US cooperation bears on the well-being of peoples of both countries and shapes the global political and economic landscape, according to a release by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

Diao Daming, vice dean of the National Academy of Development and Strategy of Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Saturday that the eight deliverables and understandings reflect the shared willingness of China and the US to keep bilateral relations stable. They chart a clear path for the sound, steady and sustainable development of China-US ties and inject certainty.

"Managing differences through respect, shaping order through fairness and delivering mutual benefits through reciprocity is consistent with China's long-standing principle of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation in handling China-US relations," said Diao. 

While each individual meeting between China and US leaders produces limited concrete outcomes, their true value lies in building strategic continuity and forward momentum. If the two sides can maintain frequent high-level exchanges and make steady progress at each meeting, these gains can add up to substantial progress over time, Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy and professor in the Department of International Relations at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

Sustained engagements allow China and the US to build on previous understandings, address issues step by step and gradually expand areas of cooperation, said Da. 

In areas including economic and trade, people-to-people exchanges, as well as global governance, there is vast potential for China-US cooperation, experts noted.  

China and the US support each other in successfully hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and the G20 Summit. The two heads of state intend to attend each other's meetings, according to the release of eight deliverables and understandings. 

With China and the US set to host the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and the G20 Summit, respectively, later this year, these multilateral occasions could provide further opportunities to strengthen political trust and strategic understanding, while advancing cooperation on concrete issues and injecting fresh momentum into the development of bilateral ties, Wu noted.