Yes, reports suggest that Chinese President Xi Jinping has hinted that the U.S. may receive more pandas as part of China’s so-called “panda diplomacy.” In July 2020, a female panda, Xing Er, arrived in Washington D.C. as part of an agreement between the two countries, marking the fourth panda to reside in the U.S. The first—and the most famous—arrived at Washington’s National Zoo in 1972 to mark President Richard Nixon’s historic trip to China.
Xi himself has even made an effort to use the bears to foster friendly ties with the U.S. In 2015, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China presented two giant pandas to President Barack Obama as a symbol of friendship. This symbol of diplomatic relations between the two countries continues to this day, with President Donald Trump receiving two giant pandas, Meng Xiang and Meng Yan, in February 2020 from the Zoo Atlanta.
In light of the Chinese President’s repeated support for panda diplomacy, it is likely that the U.S. will continue to receive more of the furry animals in the future.
