It appears that the answer is yes. Chinese President Xi Jinping recently suggested that China may soon gift more pandas to the United States. During a meeting with US President Joe Biden at the recently concluded G20 Summit in Japan, Xi noted that the two giant pandas loaned to the US in May 2018 to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties surely made US citizens “feel the friendship from China and the warmth of the Chinese people.” He further suggested that “maybe there will be more pandas in the United States in the future.” This statement has been widely taken to mean that China may soon gift additional pandas to the US as a part of its ‘Panda Diplomacy’— a diplomatic gesture or practice of gifting pandas to other nations to promote closer relations.
Panda diplomacy to live on? China’s Xi hints U.S. may get more bears.
