One’s got a big appetite, the other’s a bit of an introvert. China’s new panda diplomats touch down in DC

Washington, DC CNN —

Two giant pandas from China have landed in Washington, marking the first time the US capital has welcomed a new set of furry diplomats from Beijing in 24 years.

The FedEx cargo plane dubbed “Panda Express,” carrying Bao Li and Qing Bao, both 3 years old, landed at Washington Dulles Airport at 9:53 a.m. Tuesday.

Amid tight security and heavy media coverage, two large metal boxes with the precious cargo were carefully lowered from the belly of the jet on a scissor lift and ferried to the terminal.

From there, the two pandas were trucked to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, where they will remain on loan for 10 years, with an annual fee of $1 million to support conservation efforts in China.

Despite the high-profile welcome, American panda fans who want to see the cuddly arrivals in person are in for a wait. Zoo members can get a panda preview starting on January 10, 2025, the zoo announced Tuesday, but their debut for the general public won’t come until January 24.

The bears will now be quarantined for at least 30 days, which is routine, while a team of people provides them with a “variety of enrichment items to keep them active and encourage them to explore their new environment,” zoo officials explained.

The Smithsonian’s previous pair of pandas returned to China with their cub last November when their lease expired. Their departure triggered a flood of tearful goodbyes and left the zoo’s panda exhibit empty for 11 months.

China’s renewed panda diplomacy with the US is a rare bright spot in the fraught relations between the world’s two superpower rivals – which have been marred by tensions over trade, technology, geopolitics and more.

While born in China’s southwestern province of Sichuan, Bao