China sends two giant pandas to US

China has sent two giant pandas to the United States, according to state media. The pandas, named Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, left Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport early Sunday morning on a chartered plane, as reported by Xinhua. The transfer of the black and white mammals is part of China's panda diplomacy program, which aims to strengthen foreign relations through the popular animals.

The giant pandas are scheduled to spend the next decade at a zoo in Atlanta, Georgia. A farewell ceremony was held for the pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding before their journey. In a separate diplomatic move, Beijing recalled two of its pandas from Japan earlier this year, following a disagreement that began when Japan's prime minister suggested military intervention in response to an attack on Taiwan.