Two pandas depart China for US capital

Two giant pandas on Tuesday departed the mainland for a zoo in the US capital. Bao Li, a male panda, and female Qing Bao, both three years old, were headed to the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington under a decade-long breeding and research agreement. "China and the United States have made orderly arrangements... to ensure that the two giant pandas will arrive at the Washington National Zoo safely and smoothly," the China Wildlife Conservation Association said in a statement. Lu Yongbin, party secretary of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda committee, said at the farewell ceremony in Sichuan that the new round of China-US cooperation will boost bilateral collaboration in endangered species and biodiversity protection and enhance the friendship between the Chinese and American people. Bao Li and Qing Bao were accompanied by an experienced breeder and a veterinarian to help them adapt quickly to their new environment. Only a few of the beloved black-and-white bears remain in the US after almost all were returned to China in recent years under pre-arranged contracts – including all three of the National Zoo's pandas last November. President Xi Jinping said after meeting his counterpart Joe Biden at a summit in California last November that...