After two decades, China initiates a new round of 'panda diplomacy' by sending giant bears to the U.S.

• On Wednesday, two pandas, a nearly five-year-old male and an almost four-year-old female, left Bifengxia Giant Panda Base and will now live at the San Diego Zoo for the next 10 years.
• Since 2019, the San Diego Zoo has not housed any pandas, as a 27-year-old female giant panda and her 6-year-old son returned to China.
• The Associate Press reported that in January, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged that giant pandas would return to the U.S. in 2024, emphasizing the need for the two countries to maintain peaceful coexistence and set aside their differences.

Beijing is resuming its "panda diplomacy" efforts as relations with the West thaw, with giant pandas being transported from China to a San Diego zoo in the U.S. for the first time in over two decades.

On Wednesday, two pandas, Yun Chuan, a male panda, and Xin Bao, a female panda who's turning four in July, left Bifengxia Giant Panda Base in China's Sichuan province.

According to a press release from the San Diego Zoo, the pair will remain at the zoo for the next decade.

On Wednesday, Todd Gloria, the mayor of San Diego, celebrated the departure of the pandas at a Chinese facility and welcomed them to his city. Delegates from both countries were present.

"The mayor expressed his honor at being invited to participate in the farewell ceremonies for Yun Chuan and Xin Bao in China, stating that this is a significant conservation partnership aimed at safeguarding these magnificent animals and their environment."

The farewell ceremony for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance President and CEO Paul Baribault highlights the collaboration between the United States and China on crucial conservation efforts.

Giant panda caretakers and veterinarians from both China and the U.S., including Americans who had previously visited China and become familiar with the pandas, accompanied the pandas. Huang Shan, a giant panda caretaker at the Ya'an facility, shared this information with NBC News.

According to China Daily, the Chinese team will devote approximately three months to assisting the pandas in acclimating to San Diego.

The zoo stated that the bears will need time to adjust and won't be permitted to interact with the public right away.

The cooperative panda conservation program at the San Diego Zoo was the first in the U.S. to focus on improving the health and resilience of the endangered giant panda species.

Zhen Zhen, born at San Diego Zoo in 2007, is the mother of Yun Chua, the male panda.

Since 2019, the zoo has not housed any resident pandas, as Bai Yun and her son Xiao Liwu were returned to China. The zoo committed to continuing its conservation efforts.

Panda diplomacy

For years, China has employed "panda diplomacy" to display its soft power and alleviate conflicts with the U.S.

In 2019, three giant pandas living at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington were returned to China amid rising tensions between the two countries.

Four others in Zoo Atlanta are expected to return home this year.

In January, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged that giant pandas would return to the U.S., stating that the two countries must coexist peacefully and put their differences aside, according to the Associated Press.

According to Neil Thomas, a fellow on Chinese Politics at Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis, Beijing is focusing on cultural diplomacy to enhance American perceptions of China because it is unwilling to compromise on political issues such as human rights, industrial policy, and territorial disputes.

He stated that the arrival of pandas in San Diego will have minimal effect on the bilateral relationship.

Thomas stated that the panda diplomacy will have minimal effect on the already competitive relationship between the U.S. and China.

"Visitors to the zoo can appreciate the adorable pandas without worrying that Washington has become indebted to Beijing."

— With reporting from NBC News.