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On Wednesday, Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji left for the Chinese city of Chengdu in the southwest of the country.
This means there are no more pandas at the Washington Zoo. The animals brought joy to millions of people, the zoo said.
The zoo first received pandas on loan from China in 1972 and has been taking in panda pairs ever since. Female panda Mei Xiang and her partner Tian Tian came to the US capital 23 years ago as cubs and were born in China. They had several panda cubs, including Xiao Qi Ji about three years ago. Now the lease agreement for the pandas with China has expired. In recent weeks, the zoo has held numerous events to say goodbye to the animals.
Pandas are considered symbols of friendship between China and the countries to which they are loaned. There has been talk of ‘panda diplomacy’ for years, although the animals always remain on loan – and that also applies to their offspring. The relationship between the US and China is currently at a low point. A suspected Chinese spy balloon over the United States, Chinese support for Russia’s war in Ukraine and threats against Taiwan caused problems. However, US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet in person at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco next week. (SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
