Giant pandas are coming back to Atlanta. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on Thursday, September 24, during his state visit to Washington, that two pandas will arrive at Zoo Atlanta within a few days.

The pair, a male named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang, were both born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China.

Xi called the news “a piece of good news” and described the panda program as a symbol of friendship between the Chinese and American people.

Zoo Atlanta was home to pandas for 25 years. Its four pandas, Lun Lun, Yang Yang and their twin cubs Ya Lun and Xi Lun, returned to China in 2024, ending the partnership and leaving the zoo without the black-and-white bears.

The new loan is one of the most visible signs of warmer ties between Beijing and Washington after Xi's three-day summit with President Donald Trump.