India, April 24 -- In a move widely viewed as a significant diplomatic olive branch ahead of US President Donald Trump's planned visit in mid-May to Beijing, China has said it will send a new pair of giant pandas to the US.

In a statement published on April 23, Zoo Atlanta said that a male panda named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang will be received as part of the 10-year conservation agreement reached with the China Wildlife Conservation Association last year. The new deal has been made, replacing the original that expired in 2024. 

The announcement marks a revitalisation of "panda diplomacy," a decades-old practice in which China uses its national treasure to signal a desire for stable relations with Western partners....