Two giant pandas from China welcomed to US as part of new phase in ‘panda diplomacy’

A pair of giant pandas are on their way from China to the US, where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations.

Officials with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance were on hand in China for a farewell ceremony commemorating the departure of the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao.

It could be several weeks before the giant pandas will be viewable to the public in San Diego, while they get used to their new surroundings, officials said.

Yun Chuan is a mild-mannered male who’s nearly five-years-old and Xin Bao is a nearly four-year-old female described as “a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears.”