On a day full of carefully choreographed events to announce incremental progress on thorny political and economic issues in the U.S.-China relationship, one big diplomatic issue has been put to rest: the pandas can stay at the National Zoo.
Mei Xiang and Tian Tian have been at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., for 10 years. And with today’s agreement, they can stay for another five, Secretary-General of the China Wildlife Conservation Association Zang Chunlin announced.
The current agreement officially expired in December, but an extension of the pair’s stay was expected. There is an official signing ceremony of the extended research agreement scheduled for Thursday morning at the National Zoo.
Chinese pandas and their offspring always belong to China and must be returned eventually. Mei Xiang and Tian TIan have a son, Tai Shan, who was returned to China last year.
Pandas have been an important symbol in U.S.-China relations since Chairman Mao Zedong gave President Richard Nixon two pandas to celebrate his visit to China in 1972.