2 pandas from China make debut in US capital

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHNGTON (AA) - Two pandas from China made their public debut at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. on Friday.

"The wait is OVER: the giant pandas have officially made their public debut at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C.!" the museum said.

The pandas, named Bao Li and Qing Bao, arrived in the US capital last October but had been in quarantine since their arrival.

They will stay in the US for 10 years as part of a Cooperative Research Agreement signed last April.

The agreement continues a decades-long partnership between the two nations focused on panda conservation.

"Panda diplomacy," a practice that dates back to 1941, involves China sending pandas to other countries as a symbol of goodwill and conservation partnership.

The arrival of the pandas bao is expected to serve as a soft-power tool for China, showcasing its commitment to international collaboration and wildlife conservation.