On May 29, 2024, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo held a media event to announce that it will start a new round of cooperation on panda conservation with China and welcome a new pair of giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, by the end of the year. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng was invited to attend the event and delivered remarks.

Ambassador Xie said that last November, we saw off Mei Xiang，Tian Tian and Xiao Qi Ji from here. Many American friends, especially children, were reluctant to say goodbye. A few days later, President Xi Jinping announced in San Francisco that China is ready to continue its cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples. Now Bao Li and Qing Bao, our new envoys of friendship, will fly over the Pacific and join the big family of the National Zoo.

Ambassador Xie said that China has worked with 20 countries on panda conservation so far. The United States was among the first. Together, our researchers have successfully bred 17 panda cubs, and solved a number of technical challenges. The National Zoo is an important participant in the process. In 1972, it was exactly here that Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, the first pair of giant pandas coming to the United States, made their home. Since we started the cooperation program with the National Zoo in 2000, positive outcomes have been achieved in panda conservation and breeding, disease prevention and treatment, and public awareness. This has both helped us better protect pandas and boosted our peoples’ friendship. The current round of cooperation will focus on prevention and treatment of major diseases, and protection of habitats and wild giant panda populations. Ambassador Xie said he had heard that the team at the National Zoo is renovating the Panda House to give pandas more space to exercise, eat, play and relax, so that Bao Li and Qing Bao will live a healthy and happy life here.