Black and white and adored all over. China pledges pair of pandas for San Diego Zoo
By JULIE WATSON
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO (AP) — China is again sending pandas to the United States to the delight of the San Diego Zoo, which is preparing to get a new pair by the end of summer. The announcement by China on Thursday comes after nearly all the iconic bears on loan to U.S. zoos were sent home as bilateral relations began to sour. The black-and-white bears have long been a symbol of friendship between the U.S. and China, but only four remained in the states after bears in Tennessee and Washington, D.C. left last year. In November, Chinese President Xi Jinping raised hopes that California might get more pandas.