Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted on Wednesday night that he may send more pandas to the U.S., referring to them as “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.” According to ABC7, China lends pandas to more than 20 nations as signs of friendship in an effort sometimes called “panda diplomacy,” but the country has not made new offers to the U.S. for two decades. The Associated Press reported that when relations between the two nations worsened in recent years, allegations that U.S. zoos were mistreating the pandas emerged on China’s social media platforms. But in a speech delivered in San Francisco, just hours after Xi had positive meetings with President Joe Biden on topics such as anti-narcotics efforts and the resumption of military communications, the Chinese president said: “We are ready to continue our cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two people.”
