Smithsonian's National Zoo

China has sent two giant pandas to the United States, renewing a long-standing tradition of panda diplomacy between the two countries. The animals are destined for the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, which housed pandas for more than five decades before the last ones returned to China in late 2023. Observers see the move as a soft-power overture aimed at easing tensions and warming relations between Beijing and Washington.

The director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo has released a new book revealing previously untold stories about the zoo's giant pandas. The book draws on the director's firsthand experience with the animals, whose arrival, care and eventual return to China have long fascinated the American public and made the pandas among the zoo's most beloved residents.