2 pandas to return to Washington DC's zoo from China

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - China will send a new pair of giant pandas to Washington DC by the end of the year, the US National Zoo said on Wednesday.

"We’re thrilled to announce the next chapter of our breeding and conservation partnership begins by welcoming two new bears, including a descendent of our beloved panda family, to Washington, D.C.," said Brandie Smith, director of Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI).

Pandas, named Bao Li and Qing Bao, will be quarantined in the panda house for a minimum of 30 days upon arriving at the zoo.

The move came months after the zoo returned three of the bears to China amid heightened tensions between the two superpowers.

"This historic moment is proof positive our collaboration with Chinese colleagues has made an irrefutable impact," Smith said.

"Through this partnership, we have grown the panda population, advanced our shared understanding of how to care for this beloved bear and learned what’s needed to protect wild pandas and preserve native habitat," Smith added.