WATCH: Pandas arrive in US as part of China's panda diplomacy

Two giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, have landed in Washington, marking the return of panda diplomacy.

The three-year-old pandas departed from the giant panda research base in Dujiangyan, southwest China, on Monday evening local time.

They were flown to Washington on a specially chartered FedEx Boeing 777 cargo jet, nicknamed the “Panda Express,” early Tuesday morning.

The pair will be loaned to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for a 10-year period, with China receiving an annual fee of $1 million to support conservation efforts.

"We have prepared corn buns, bamboo shoots, carrots, water, and medicine to ensure the pandas’ needs are met during the flight," the China Wildlife Conservation Association said in a statement.

The black-and-white duo’s arrival also has familial ties to Washington. Bao Li’s mother, Bao Bao, was born at the National Zoo in 2013 before being returned to China in 2017. His grandparents, Meixiang and Tian Tian, lived at the zoo for over two decades, becoming beloved icons.

The pandas’ return comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over a range of issues, including trade, technology, and geopolitics.

Panda diplomacy

The giant panda has long been a symbol of peace and friendship in China and has played a central role in the country’s efforts to foster international relations. Beginning in 1957, China gifted pandas to countries such as the Soviet Union, the US, and North Korea as gestures of goodwill.

However, in 1982, as the species become endangered, China ended the gifting practice and began lending pandas to select countries. Despite this change, pandas continue to serve as diplomatic symbols.

Currently classified as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), these programs are vital to the species’ survival.

Some pandas, like Bao Li, carry on their diplomatic legacy, while others may eventually be reintroduced into the wild.