Move FM Global News

BEIJING, China: San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced in Beijing that the city would soon receive a pair of pandas from China as part of Beijing’s “panda diplomacy.”

This marks San Francisco’s first long-term hosting of the beloved animals, following a yearlong advocacy campaign. The pandas are expected to arrive in 2025, with preparations underway in collaboration with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

Pandas are native to China, where they reside in their natural habitat, and China holds most of the world’s population of these black-and-white bears. Beijing utilizes panda loans to other nations as a means of both diplomacy and wildlife preservation efforts.

“San Francisco is absolutely thrilled to be welcoming giant pandas to the San Francisco Zoo,” Breed said after signing a letter of intent for international cooperation on giant panda conservation.

Breed mentioned that San Francisco had collaborated with its Chinese and Asian communities for nearly a year to champion the cause of welcoming pandas. This effort culminated in November’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting in San Francisco, where both the U.S. and Chinese presidents convened.

CWCA Secretary-General Wu Minglu affirmed the association’s commitment to collaborating with San Francisco officials to facilitate the pandas’ arrival and uphold the necessary technical standards for their conservation.

“We look forward to a pair of giant pandas being in San Francisco in 2025,” he said.

San Diego’s announcement in February marked the first time in over two decades that China agreed to send pandas to the United States. Presently, only four giant pandas reside in the U.S., all housed at the zoo in Atlanta.

Concerns arose when China did not renew loan agreements with zoos in Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, fueling speculation about the future of panda diplomacy amidst geopolitical tensions.

Since Beijing gifted a pair of pandas to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., in 1972, these black-and-white bears have symbolized the friendship between the U.S. and China. China’s subsequent lending of pandas to zoos was aimed at breeding efforts and bolstering the panda population.