China plans to send San Diego Zoo more pandas this year, reintroducing panda diplomacy

SAN DIEGO (AP) — China plans to send a new pair of giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo, renewing its longstanding gesture of friendship toward the United States after a recalling nearly all the iconic bears on loan to U.S. zoos as relations soured between the two nations. The China Wildlife Conservation Association recently signed cooperation agreements with zoos in San Diego and Madrid, the Spanish capital, and is in talks with zoos Washington, D.C. and Vienna, China’s government-run Xinhua News Agency said Thursday, describing the deals as a new round of collaboration on panda conservation. San Diego Zoo…