Panda diplomacy returns: China to send more bears to the US this year

The two new furry friends, a male and a female, are expected to arrive at the San Diego Zoo by as early as this summer.

In what could be interpreted as a positive sign in relations between two world superpowers, China has agreed to send a new pair of giant pandas to the United States later this year after nearly all of the bears were removed from American zoos in recent years.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced Thursday that it had signed a cooperative agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to resume the so-called "panda diplomacy" between the two countries.

"Pandas in our care and in the care of Chinese colleagues at conservation facilities play an important role as assurance against extinction and loss of genetic diversity in their native habitats, as well as a source population for reintroductions," said Dr. Megan Owen, Vice President of Conservation Science. "Our partnership over the decades has served as a powerful example of how—when we work together—we can achieve what was once thought to be impossible."

Panda diplomacy for the U.S. dates back to 1972 when the first pair of giant pandas arrived as a gift from China. Since then, nine pandas and 17 surviving cubs have spent time in U.S. zoos on loan from China.  

For China, the benefit to panda diplomacy is improving the country's international image. But there's also a financial upside as panda loan agreements typically include large sums of money, often $1 million per year per pair of pandas.