Washington welcomes two new giant pandas

During a news conference on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that in the future, experts will be sent to the US to conduct on-site inspections and evaluations and offer guidance.

"In accordance with the requirements and technical standards of international cooperation for giant panda conservation, China and the US will spare no effort to ensure the health and safety of giant pandas residing in the US," she said.

In anticipation of their arrival, the zoo in Washington, under the guidance of Chinese experts, has established a dedicated care team, ensured a stable source of edible bamboo, and enhanced the living quarters of the giant pandas.

The area where Bao Li and Qing Bao will live features a new grassland, pond and additional climbing structures.

In a post on social media platform X on Monday evening, the zoo said, "Something *giant* is coming to Washington, D.C. via the @FedEx Panda Express!"

The post also said the zoo would be closed to the public on Tuesday, and that "for the safety of the pandas and staff, we will not disclose any additional timing".

Bao Li and Qing Bao departed from the Dujiangyan base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda on Monday and were taken to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.

The bears were transported from Chengdu on a FedEx Boeing 777 cargo jet called the "Panda Express", according to The Washington Post, and FedEx posted on X on Monday that the Panda Express was "on the move".

A FedEx cargo jet from Chengdu via Anchorage, Alaska, arrived at Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia on Tuesday morning.

In the past 24 years of collaboration between the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the National Zoo in Washington, both China and the US have made significant progress in conservation and breeding, disease treatment and public education, according to Chinese experts.

On its website, the zoo said, "Our goal is to raise $25 million to secure a future for giant pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and protect this magnificent bear species and the mountain forest habitats it calls home."

Since the 1990s, China has collaborated with 26 institutions in 20 countries, including Spain, Japan and France, on giant panda conservation efforts. Through these partnerships, 41 litters comprising 68 giant panda cubs have been bred, leading to a global captive population of 728.