China to send 2 young giant pandas to U.S. this year

(Reuters) -- China will send two young giant pandas to Washington, the National Zoo said on Wednesday, months after the zoo returned three of the bears amid heightened tensions between the two global superpowers.

The announcement follows increased engagement between Washington and Beijing that has put ties on a steadier footing since relations hit historic lows last year.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo said in a statement that it will welcome pandas named Bao Li and Qing Bao to the zoo in Washington by the end of the year.

"We're thrilled to announce the next chapter of our breeding and conservation partnership begins by welcoming two new bears, including a descendent of our beloved panda family, to Washington, D.C.," said Brandie Smith, director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

"This historic moment is proof positive our collaboration with Chinese colleagues has made an irrefutable impact," Smith added.

The departure of the three pandas from the zoo last November as loan agreements lapsed left Georgia's Zoo Atlanta as the only one in the United States with giant pandas, and that loan deal is set to expire later this year.

Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted that he was open to sending more of the "envoys of friendship" to the U.S. after meeting President Joe Biden in November in California, where the two men agreed to step up communication despite an intensifying geopolitical rivalry.

Xi's remarks prompted the White House to say the U.S. would "absolutely welcome" the bears.

China's communist government has long used "panda diplomacy" to enhance the country's soft power, lending the large but cuddly-looking black-and-white bears to zoos in various countries over the decades as goodwill