China could send more pandas to the U.S., Chinese President Xi Jinping suggests

Chinese President Xi Jinping has indicated China will continue to send pandas to the United States following his meeting with President Biden in California. 

During remarks at a dinner with business leaders in San Francisco Wednesday night, the leader of the People's Republic of China appeared poised to rekindle its so-called "panda diplomacy" with the U.S. after tensions between the countries threatened the future of the agreement. The program refers to the decades-long practice of the Chinese government gifting or loaning giant pandas to other countries as a form of goodwill. 

"Pandas have long been envoys of friendship between China and the U.S.," Xi said, the Associated Press reported. "We are ready to continue our cooperation on panda protection with the U.S., and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples."