Panda diplomacy to live on? China’s Xi hints U.S. may get more bears.

Yes, it appears that panda diplomacy will indeed live on. Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted in a speech on Friday that the United States may receive more of China’s beloved giant pandas in the near future. He said that China is willing to continue to deepen cooperation with the U.S. in biodiversity protection and supports the two countries in promoting “animal husbandry and education industries”. This follows the long-standing tradition of panda diplomacy, whereby Chinese leaders gift pandas to foreign countries. Panda diplomacy has been a key element of China’s foreign relations since the 1950s.